SBAZ Blog – Home Improvement – Small Business Resources

In cased you missed it, Chris Hansen brought his awkward presence to the shores of Scottsdale, Arizona for Dateline NBC this past weekend. Taking a break from the usual he decided to pinpoint the shotty worksmanship of local Phoenix contractors.

In summary, he set up very simple problems with things like pools, garage doors, water heaters and air conditioning units. These little problems can be solved in literally 2 minutes in every case should the contractor be doing his job and checking everything over and not just assuming they need a replacement part or extensive service done. Anyways, the videos are outlined below and you might be surprised with what you find contractors are like in your own backyard.

Pool Service Contactors

Garage Door Contactors

Plumbing/Water Heater

Air Conditioning Contractors

Air Conditioning Contractors Part II

Hope you enjoyed the information!

Everyone needs a night out so why not do it in style. Gather up your friends and give the folks at Real London Bus a call for a guaranteed good time.

Real London Bus is a double-decker party bus imported directly from London, no imitation here. Have a look below.

This bus can really serve you for any occasion and provides truly great prices. They also feature a “pub crawl” once a month for any and everyone. For more details be sure and check out: http://reallondonbus.com

A client asked me today about setting up separate websites/landing pages that all link back to his site and was hoping to help the popularity of his website in the SERPS(search engine results pages). I figured this was as good of time as any to elaborate a little more on this topic.

This type of thing can be helpful if it is done the right way and 9 times out of 10 it is not. Many seo companies and business owners themselves are really jumping into keyword-domain pool and buying up any and everything that has to do with their business with the hopes of being at the top of the SERPS for those particular terms.

Can it work? Yes, IF the keywords are so off-topic or long-tail that the competition is scarce and in which case is not worth the time of building the page/website because not enough people are searching for those terms anyway.

Will it work long-term? I sure hope not and I cannot wait for Google to start penalizing these companies with replicated landing pages across 10 or 15 domains because all it is in my eyes is low quality marketing spam. Something you will find if you take this approach is that you may rank well for a very small number of keywords that are most likely all in your domain name and as I said above, if you do then the competition is scarce and your traffic will be very minimal.

Let me tell you why SEO is not always about ranking for the most popular keywords in your niche.

Because any SEO Consultant that knows what they’re talking about will tell you that a majority of traffic comes from very random/long-tail searches you and no other person would really be able to think of.

Your next question is probably well then how can I rank for these terms?

Write quality copy on your website and keep it coming on a weekly/monthly basis. If those companies spamming the net with replicated domains spent as much time writing helpful tips, additional pages or improving the quality of their own website not only would their be a traffic increase but conversions would increase as well, without a doubt.

Remember, spam is a short term solution(solution may be a strong word) but quality will pay off 10x more in the end.

Many experienced real estate agents in the Phoenix metropolitan are have a general understanding of the mortgage approval process, but there are a few important details that frequently get overlooked which may cause your loan to be delayed or denied when you’re buying your new home.

New Federal and State regulation, updated disclosure policies, appraisal guidelines, interest rate pricing premiums, credit score, secondary investor approval guideline layering, property type, HOA insurance requirements, title and property flipping rules are just a few of the many recent changes that can have a major impact on a borrower’s home loan financing.

With today’s volatile lending environment, it’s extremely important for home buyers to get a full loan approval, which clearly defines all contingencies that pertain to each unique home buyer’s scenario, prior to spending time searching for a new home with a real estate professional.

Here is a list of a few of the most important topics your Phoenix real estate agent should keep in mind while showing you homes:

Caution – Agents Beware:

Property Type –

High-Rise, Condo, Town House, Single Family Residence, Dome Home or Shoe House… all have specific lending guidelines that can influence down payment, credit score and mortgage insurance requirements.

Residence Type –

Need to sell one home before moving into another? Is a property considered a second home if it’s in the same city? What if I’m buying a home for my children to live in, it is still considered an investment property?

These are just a few of several possible residence related questions that should be addressed by your real estate agent and mortgage professional at the initial loan application.

Rates / Locks –

Mortgage Rates are typically locked for a 30 day period. Rates also have adjustments for property/residence type, credit score and down payment. Most of these could have a big impact on your monthly payment. An increased monthly payment could also have an adverse affect on your loan approval.

A 1% increase in rate could be the difference between getting an approval or denial.

Headline News / Employment –

Underwriters are human and watch the news just like you. Borrowers who work in a volatile industry during hard economic times may have to jump through a few extra hoops to prove that their employment and income is secure.

Job changes, periods of unemployment or property location in relation to the subject property are other things to consider that may cause a speed bump in the approval process.

Title / Property Flip –

A Flip is considered a property that has been purchased by an investor and quickly sold to a new buyer within a 30-90 day period. Generally, an investor will do a little rehab work, fresh paint, landscaping…. and try to re-sell the property for a profit.

While it seems like a perfectly fair transaction, many lenders have strict guidelines in place that prevent borrowers from obtaining financing on properties that have a previous owner with less than 90 days of documented ownership.

These rules change frequently, and are specific to particular property types, so make sure your agent is aware of any changes in title in the last 90 days.

Homeowner’s Association Insurance –

Some lenders require Condos and Townhome communities to have sufficient insurance and reserves coverage pertaining to specific ratios on units that are owner occupied vs rented.

It may also take a few weeks and cost up to $300 to receive an HOA Certification, so make sure your Due-Diligence period is set accordingly in the purchase contract.

Appraisal Ordering Procedures –

Appraisal ordering guidelines are changing quite frequently as regulators implement many new consumer protection laws created to prevent future foreclosure epidemics.

Unfortunately, some of the new appraisal regulations have proven to slow the home buying process down, as well as confuse lenders about the true estimate of neighborhood values.

VA, FHA and Conventional loan programs all have separate appraisal ordering policies, so make sure your agent is aware of which loan you’re approved for so that they document any anticipated delays in the purchase contract.

For example, if an appraisal takes three weeks and the average time for an approval is two weeks, then it probably isn’t smart to write a purchase contract with a four week close of escrow.



Evans&Associates, Arizona’s Garage Repair & Service Experts!

As a natural product floors are manufactured in accordance with accepted industry standards which permit a grading tolerance of 5%. This should be taken into account when estimating.The product should not be stored until all plastering, cement work, decorating and all wet work is 100% dry.

Solid hardwood floors should not normally be installed below ground level or in bathrooms. Cut pieces with glaring defects and it is normal practice to use stain putty or filler stick for defect correction or minor dimension differences. Unfinished flooring will require spot or trowel filling as required before sanding.

Wood Flooring Installation Phoenix

Pre-oiled flooring should be hand-sanded using 120 grit or higher and a light finishing coat of oil applied with a cloth after hardwood flooring installation. Hardwood Flooring finished with a stained lacquer, lighter or darker than the natural species colour, should be treated with two coats of clear lacquer right away after installation. This type of flooring has finish in the item description i.e wenge finish, walnut finish, white finish.

Flooring should be stored within the installation area at normal expected conditions for approximately one week to acclimatise depending on your particular product and species. A dimension tolerance of plus or minus 2% is allowed by manufacturers.

Stay tuned for future wood flooring installation tips from Horizon Tile & Flooring!
For more information check us out online @:

http://horizontileaz.com

Stain Removal Tips for Scottsdale, AZ
Three steps for proper carpet care: Information provided by The Carpet & Rug Institute

Scottsdale Carpet Cleaning is just like exercise! If you get into a routine and keep it up, you will see great results and feel better for it. Understanding the right way to clean carpet will help you save time by doing it correctly the first time with products that do the job right from the start. Not only will Seal of Approval cleaning products help keep your carpet looking great, they can also help meet the warranty requirements of the carpet manufacturer. Below are three simple steps to keeping your carpet clean and looking great:

1. Vacuum at the right frequency with a CRI-approved vacuum.
2. Clean spots and spills quickly with products that do not damage the carpet or cause it to resoil more quickly.
3. Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.

Stop dirt at the door

Preventing dirt and grime from getting on the carpet in the first place is a great way to start keeping it clean. The following helpful hints can stop dirt in its tracks.

* Use mats – Outdoor and indoor mats or runners can reduce the amount of dirt that enters the house.
* Take off your shoes – You can save wear and tear on carpet by asking everyone to take their shoes off before entering your home.
* Change your air filters – Change air filters in your heating and air-conditioning systems as recommended by the manufacturer’s directions. The more dust and particles removed by the filter, the fewer that fall onto the carpet.

Spot Removal Steps

Act Quickly! Most carpet available today has been treated with a stain-resist treatment, so many spills can be removed if immediate action is taken. The longer the delay, the higher the probability of a spill becoming a permanent stain. Remember, staining is influenced by many factors, and no carpet is completely stain proof.

Blot liquids with a dry, white, absorbent cloth or or white paper toweling (no printing).

Do not scrub the area! Scrubbing may cause pile distortion in the affected area. Continue to use a dry cloth or paper towels until the area is completely dry. For semi-solids, gently scrape up with a rounded spoon. Solids should be broken up and vacuumed until completely removed. If the spot can be identified, locate the substance in the spot removal computer and follow the directions carefully.

Pretest any spot removal agent in an inconspicuous area to be certain the solution will not damage the fiber or the dye. After applying several drops to the testing area, hold a white cloth on the wet area for 10 seconds. Examine the carpet and cloth for color transfer, color change, or damage to the carpet. If a change occurs, another cleaning solution should be selected.

Apply a small amount of the selected cleaning solution to a white cloth and work in gently.

Work from the edges of the spill to the center to prevent the spill from spreading. Do not scrub! Blot in order to absorb as much as possible, and repeat if necessary.

Continue using the first cleaning solution as long as there is a transfer of the spill to the cloth. It is not necessary to use all of the cleaning solutions if the first solution removes the spill.

Be patient! Complete removal of the spill may require repeating the same step several times. After the spill has been completely removed, rinse the affected area thoroughly with cold water, and blot with a dry cloth until all of the solution has been removed. Some cleaning solutions will cause rapid soiling if the solution is not completely removed. Apply a one-half inch layer of white paper towels to the affected area, and weigh down with a flat, heavy object. Continue to change paper towels as needed.

A dry, absorbent, cleaning compound may be used as a substitute to accelerate drying time.
For more detailed information on a specific spill, please search on the pull-down menu at right.
Many fiber manufacturers provide a toll-free cleaning assistance and advice (consult your warranty).

Scottsdale Carpet Cleaning Tips provided by:
Americhem Carpet & Tile Cleaning
“Your Scottsdale Carpet Experts”