Arizona Lifestyle | Tracy Fitzgerald

Idyllic Desert Living JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

ARIZONA LUXURY

Representing Luxury Buyers & Sellers

INVENTORY IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW! There is no better time to sell in today’s market. We offer our clients concierge level service, the very best in sales strategies and first class marketing. We understand luxury real estate and the needs of luxury home buyers and sellers.

Call or email us today if you are interested in knowing the current market value of your home. We would be happy to provide you with a free market analysis.

Tracy Fitzgerald Top 1% Agent in Arizona

480.560.7000

tracy.fitzgerald@russlyon.com

Gorgeous custom estate on 2+ acres with privacy and views. Entertainer’s dream home with large great room and pocket doors opening to outdoor living space. Gourmet kitchen with top of the line stainless steel appliances & butler’s pantry with fridge and microwave. Formal dining with 700 bottle wine cellar. This home features 3 bedrooms en suite, master suite with his & her custom closets, jetted tub, steam room and indoor & outdoor showers. Basement features game room with fireplace and custom bar, theater and exercise room, and powder room. Upstairs bonus/5th bedroom & bath with Brazilian wood floors. Beautiful backyard with expansive covered patios, built-in BBQ, fireplace, heated pool & spa, all surrounded by exquisite landscaping and beautiful mountain views. Luxurious custom finishes throughout. Must see!

Stay Fit

NEW YEAR, NEW HOME While the gym membership may gather dust once the New Year’s resolutions have faded, a change of address is a possible and practical goal for 2016. January and February are busier months in the real estate market, and Metro Phoenix is currently the eighth most affordable big US city in which to buy a house. This means more leverage for buyers, and while others are sitting on the fence to list, this could result in less competition for prospective sellers.

Armed with a down payment, the savvy homebuyer’s check list should include acquiring their credit score in advance, which will help secure loan pre-approval from a reliable lender. Finding the ideal neighborhood is easy by researching online and by car.

Whether buying or selling, a qualified real estate agent could save you big money when negotiating the best possible deal. Checking off the boxes and resolving to make a new move can indeed make it a Sweet ’16!

Call Tracy at 480.560.7000 for the most effective marketing for your Arizona Luxury property.

TracyFitzgerald.com Your referrals are the heart and soul of my business. The highest compliment that I can receive is a referral to one of your friends, relatives or business associates. Your trust and confidence is greatly appreciated.

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Get Resolved!

6,923 SF| 5 Bed | 6.5 Bath | Offered at $1,970,000

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

Trulia, Zillow & Realtor.com

Which Website is Best?

Roka Akor’s

Lamb Cutlets in Korean Spices

Entertainer’s Dream Home

Featured Listing Presented

By Tracy Fitzgerald

JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016 Prickly Pedal Mountain Bike Race Maricopa Trail | January 23 PricklyPedal.com The Prickly Pedal race course features approximately 50 miles of pristine double and single track trail along the northernmost part of the Maricopa Trail, starting at the Lake Pleasant Regional Park and finishing in the town of Cave Creek.

Search for Your Next Home Without Leaving Your House

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction Westworld | January 24 – 26 (480) 421-6694 | Barrett-Jackson.com For nearly four decades, the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has been recognized throughout the world for offering only the finest selection of quality collector vehicles, outstanding professional service, and an unrivaled sales success. From classic and one-of-a-kind vehicles to exotics and muscle cars, Barrett-Jackson attracts only the best. In addition to the amazing vehicles, attendees enjoy a lifestyle experience featuring fine art, fashion, and gourmet cuisine.

Waste Management Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale | February 4 – 7 PhoenixOpen.com Sporting the largest crowds on the PGA Tour, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status on Tour for being unlike any other golf tournament.

It starts with the unbelievable golf played by the likes of Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Keegan Bradley on the beautiful TPC Scottsdale and ends with the biggest galleries on Tour. Hole 16 is a mustsee with stadium seating and crowds exceeding 16,000.

It makes the fan experience more comparable to a Phoenix Suns game than a traditional PGA Tournament.

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show Westworld | February 11 – 21 (480) 515-1500 | ScottsdaleShow.com The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show hosts exciting competitions, gala parties, educational seminars, an international cuisine court, and features more than 300 vendor booths, offering everything from lavish jewelry, clothing and works of art.

Waterfront Fine Art & Wine Festival Scottsdale Waterfront February 11 – 14 (480) 837-5637 | ThunderbirdArtists.com Thunderbird Artists, producer of award-winning art and wine festivals, line the banks of the Scottsdale Waterfront with the greatest selection of juried fine arts, fine wines, delectable food and musicians. Patrons love strolling throughout spectacular paintings, sculptures, glass, photography, jewelry and more while listening to live musical entertainment and sipping fine wines.

Get On Track O

ur New Year’s resolutions have been made … and what’s on the top of most lists? Getting fit, losing weight, and being healthy are the goals of many for 2016.

Sound familiar? Although our resolutions often remain the same from year to year, one thing has changed this year: Technology can help us stick to our fitness promises better than ever. From FitBit bands and Apple Watches to calorie-counting and miles-tracking apps on our devices, technology is making it easier to get and stay healthy. All while looking hip and having some fun in the process.

Thinking about getting a FitBit? You’ll love how easy it is to use one of these devices to track your steps and gauge your activity level each and every day. You’d be surprised how motivated you can be to get up and get moving when you see how few steps you have taken some days. And did we mention they are super-cute to wear?

A realtor.com

lmost all home buyers start their real estate search online. Consumers don’t have to leave their house while ® searching hundreds of listings in their area – all with multiple photos, detailed property information and satellite maps – providing a plethora of information at their fingertips. But, what real estate websites are the best sources of information and why?

The Apple Watch will also help you stick to your fitness goals. Sitting for almost an hour? The Apple Watch will remind you to stand up and get moving. The watch will also suggest new daily exercise goals and track any movements you make. After all, every step counts toward the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. And who doesn’t like to get rewarded with badges and words of encouragement after a long run or bike ride?

Of course you don’t need a new device to use technology to your advantage. There are plenty of apps available on your smart phone that can track your fitness, your calorie intake, and even serve as personal fitness trainers. Runkeeper, for example, is an app that helps you set a running goal, creates new and interesting routes, gives audio updates on distance and speed, and provides music to inspire. More interested in tracking what you eat? An app called Lose It! will help you count calories. Just enter in your current weight and your weight goal and the app calculates an appropriate daily calorie intake and the date you will achieve your goal if you stick to your plan. Users can scan bar codes from packaged foods they eat and the app will automatically tell you when to eat less to reach their weight-loss goals. All in all, technology has made it easier and more fun than ever to get healthy in 2016!

Known as the “big three” – Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com have the most listings and drive more website traffic than any other real estate portals.

In 2015 Zillow Group acquired Trulia – so both Zillow and Trulia are owned by the same parent company. According to their website “Zillow Group houses a portfolio of the largest and most vibrant real estate and home-related brands on the web and mobile.”

The Realtor.com operating company, Move, Inc. has had a 10 year association with the National Association of Realtors. Move, Inc. was acquired by News Corp. in November, 2014. Shortly after the acquisition, New Corp. began integrating content from The Wall Street Journal and other News Corp. media companies with the Realtor.com site. The website touts “Connecting with the right homes for sale is ideal. That’s why we offer property overviews, community info and the latest real estate statistics to help you make the best decision.”

An October, 2015 study by BuildZoom found that Zillow and Trulia together dominate the market in terms of traffic, but Realtor.com recently surpassed Trulia to become the second most popular real estate portal behind first place Zillow. The relationship of Realtor.com with the National Association of Realtors has translated into Realtor.com having more timely, accurate and comprehensive nationwide listings. In fact, Realtor.com receives its data from almost all of the 800+ Multiple Listings Services in the U.S. every 15 minutes.

The Zillow Group sites have agreements with just over 300 MLS services.

The BuildZoom study cites that Zillow.com has fewer listings than Realtor. com in 42 out of 51 largest metros across the United States. The discrepancy is often quite substantial: in 30 of the 51 cities, Zillow.com has 20 percent fewer listings. But, in a handful of cities – Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Detroit – Zillow.com provides more listings than Realtor.com.

In all cases, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is where the data comes from. If you need professional assistance or just want to schedule a home tour, contact your neighborhood real estate expert.

REAL ESTATE

corner

IN GOOD TASTE

Event Calendar

Lamb Cutlets in Korean Spices INGREDIENTS 4 x 4 bone 100 grms

2 tbsp 2 tsp 2 tbsp ½ tsp 1 tbsp 1 tbsp 5 drops 1 ½ tbsp

SESAME CUCUMBER INGREDIENTS rack of lamb gochujang paste – red pepper paste sake soy sauce mirin dried chilli powder crushed garlic crushed ginger sesame oil olive oil

Butcher the rack into individual cutlets, trim and clean the bones. Whisk the sake, soy sauce and mirin into the gochujang paste until smooth. Add the dried chilli powder, crushed garlic, crushed ginger and sesame oil in to the paste to form a marinade.

Marinate each cutlet individually with the paste and store for 12 hours. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the marinated cutlets to skillet; cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.

1 large

180 grms

60 grms 2 tbsp 1 tbsp 180ml + 60ml 2 ½ tbsp 2 ½ tbsp 1 tbsp

continental cucumber, cut into batons goma paste – ground sesame paste toasted sesame seeds castor sugar ginger juice dashi stock rice vinegar sesame oil light soy sauce

Whisk together goma paste, sesame seeds, sugar, juice, dashi, vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce till smooth paste. Adjust consistency with the extra dashi till coating consistency.

Coat cucumber batons with 6 tablespoons of sesame dressing, toss to coat evenly.

Toss cucumber and serve with grilled lamb cutlets.

Enjoy!

RokaAkor.com | (480) 306-8800

JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016 Prickly Pedal Mountain Bike Race Maricopa Trail | January 23 PricklyPedal.com The Prickly Pedal race course features approximately 50 miles of pristine double and single track trail along the northernmost part of the Maricopa Trail, starting at the Lake Pleasant Regional Park and finishing in the town of Cave Creek.

Search for Your Next Home Without Leaving Your House

Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction Westworld | January 24 – 26 (480) 421-6694 | Barrett-Jackson.com For nearly four decades, the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company has been recognized throughout the world for offering only the finest selection of quality collector vehicles, outstanding professional service, and an unrivaled sales success. From classic and one-of-a-kind vehicles to exotics and muscle cars, Barrett-Jackson attracts only the best. In addition to the amazing vehicles, attendees enjoy a lifestyle experience featuring fine art, fashion, and gourmet cuisine.

Waste Management Phoenix Open TPC Scottsdale | February 4 – 7 PhoenixOpen.com Sporting the largest crowds on the PGA Tour, the Waste Management Phoenix Open has gained legendary status on Tour for being unlike any other golf tournament.

It starts with the unbelievable golf played by the likes of Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Keegan Bradley on the beautiful TPC Scottsdale and ends with the biggest galleries on Tour. Hole 16 is a mustsee with stadium seating and crowds exceeding 16,000.

It makes the fan experience more comparable to a Phoenix Suns game than a traditional PGA Tournament.

Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show Westworld | February 11 – 21 (480) 515-1500 | ScottsdaleShow.com The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show hosts exciting competitions, gala parties, educational seminars, an international cuisine court, and features more than 300 vendor booths, offering everything from lavish jewelry, clothing and works of art.

Waterfront Fine Art & Wine Festival Scottsdale Waterfront February 11 – 14 (480) 837-5637 | ThunderbirdArtists.com Thunderbird Artists, producer of award-winning art and wine festivals, line the banks of the Scottsdale Waterfront with the greatest selection of juried fine arts, fine wines, delectable food and musicians. Patrons love strolling throughout spectacular paintings, sculptures, glass, photography, jewelry and more while listening to live musical entertainment and sipping fine wines.

Get On Track O

ur New Year’s resolutions have been made … and what’s on the top of most lists? Getting fit, losing weight, and being healthy are the goals of many for 2016.

Sound familiar? Although our resolutions often remain the same from year to year, one thing has changed this year: Technology can help us stick to our fitness promises better than ever. From FitBit bands and Apple Watches to calorie-counting and miles-tracking apps on our devices, technology is making it easier to get and stay healthy. All while looking hip and having some fun in the process.

Thinking about getting a FitBit? You’ll love how easy it is to use one of these devices to track your steps and gauge your activity level each and every day. You’d be surprised how motivated you can be to get up and get moving when you see how few steps you have taken some days. And did we mention they are super-cute to wear?

A realtor.com

lmost all home buyers start their real estate search online. Consumers don’t have to leave their house while ® searching hundreds of listings in their area – all with multiple photos, detailed property information and satellite maps – providing a plethora of information at their fingertips. But, what real estate websites are the best sources of information and why?

The Apple Watch will also help you stick to your fitness goals. Sitting for almost an hour? The Apple Watch will remind you to stand up and get moving. The watch will also suggest new daily exercise goals and track any movements you make. After all, every step counts toward the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise. And who doesn’t like to get rewarded with badges and words of encouragement after a long run or bike ride?

Of course you don’t need a new device to use technology to your advantage. There are plenty of apps available on your smart phone that can track your fitness, your calorie intake, and even serve as personal fitness trainers. Runkeeper, for example, is an app that helps you set a running goal, creates new and interesting routes, gives audio updates on distance and speed, and provides music to inspire. More interested in tracking what you eat? An app called Lose It! will help you count calories. Just enter in your current weight and your weight goal and the app calculates an appropriate daily calorie intake and the date you will achieve your goal if you stick to your plan. Users can scan bar codes from packaged foods they eat and the app will automatically tell you when to eat less to reach their weight-loss goals. All in all, technology has made it easier and more fun than ever to get healthy in 2016!

Known as the “big three” – Trulia, Zillow and Realtor.com have the most listings and drive more website traffic than any other real estate portals.

In 2015 Zillow Group acquired Trulia – so both Zillow and Trulia are owned by the same parent company. According to their website “Zillow Group houses a portfolio of the largest and most vibrant real estate and home-related brands on the web and mobile.”

The Realtor.com operating company, Move, Inc. has had a 10 year association with the National Association of Realtors. Move, Inc. was acquired by News Corp. in November, 2014. Shortly after the acquisition, New Corp. began integrating content from The Wall Street Journal and other News Corp. media companies with the Realtor.com site. The website touts “Connecting with the right homes for sale is ideal. That’s why we offer property overviews, community info and the latest real estate statistics to help you make the best decision.”

An October, 2015 study by BuildZoom found that Zillow and Trulia together dominate the market in terms of traffic, but Realtor.com recently surpassed Trulia to become the second most popular real estate portal behind first place Zillow. The relationship of Realtor.com with the National Association of Realtors has translated into Realtor.com having more timely, accurate and comprehensive nationwide listings. In fact, Realtor.com receives its data from almost all of the 800+ Multiple Listings Services in the U.S. every 15 minutes.

The Zillow Group sites have agreements with just over 300 MLS services.

The BuildZoom study cites that Zillow.com has fewer listings than Realtor. com in 42 out of 51 largest metros across the United States. The discrepancy is often quite substantial: in 30 of the 51 cities, Zillow.com has 20 percent fewer listings. But, in a handful of cities – Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix and Detroit – Zillow.com provides more listings than Realtor.com.

In all cases, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is where the data comes from. If you need professional assistance or just want to schedule a home tour, contact your neighborhood real estate expert.

REAL ESTATE

corner

IN GOOD TASTE

Event Calendar

Lamb Cutlets in Korean Spices INGREDIENTS 4 x 4 bone 100 grms

2 tbsp 2 tsp 2 tbsp ½ tsp 1 tbsp 1 tbsp 5 drops 1 ½ tbsp

SESAME CUCUMBER INGREDIENTS rack of lamb gochujang paste – red pepper paste sake soy sauce mirin dried chilli powder crushed garlic crushed ginger sesame oil olive oil

Butcher the rack into individual cutlets, trim and clean the bones. Whisk the sake, soy sauce and mirin into the gochujang paste until smooth. Add the dried chilli powder, crushed garlic, crushed ginger and sesame oil in to the paste to form a marinade.

Marinate each cutlet individually with the paste and store for 12 hours. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the marinated cutlets to skillet; cook to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.

1 large

180 grms

60 grms 2 tbsp 1 tbsp 180ml + 60ml 2 ½ tbsp 2 ½ tbsp 1 tbsp

continental cucumber, cut into batons goma paste – ground sesame paste toasted sesame seeds castor sugar ginger juice dashi stock rice vinegar sesame oil light soy sauce

Whisk together goma paste, sesame seeds, sugar, juice, dashi, vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce till smooth paste. Adjust consistency with the extra dashi till coating consistency.

Coat cucumber batons with 6 tablespoons of sesame dressing, toss to coat evenly.

Toss cucumber and serve with grilled lamb cutlets.

Enjoy!

RokaAkor.com | (480) 306-8800

Idyllic Desert Living JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2016

ARIZONA LUXURY

Representing Luxury Buyers & Sellers

INVENTORY IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW! There is no better time to sell in today’s market. We offer our clients concierge level service, the very best in sales strategies and first class marketing. We understand luxury real estate and the needs of luxury home buyers and sellers.

Call or email us today if you are interested in knowing the current market value of your home. We would be happy to provide you with a free market analysis.

Tracy Fitzgerald Top 1% Agent in Arizona

480.560.7000

tracy.fitzgerald@russlyon.com

Gorgeous custom estate on 2+ acres with privacy and views. Entertainer’s dream home with large great room and pocket doors opening to outdoor living space. Gourmet kitchen with top of the line stainless steel appliances & butler’s pantry with fridge and microwave. Formal dining with 700 bottle wine cellar. This home features 3 bedrooms en suite, master suite with his & her custom closets, jetted tub, steam room and indoor & outdoor showers. Basement features game room with fireplace and custom bar, theater and exercise room, and powder room. Upstairs bonus/5th bedroom & bath with Brazilian wood floors. Beautiful backyard with expansive covered patios, built-in BBQ, fireplace, heated pool & spa, all surrounded by exquisite landscaping and beautiful mountain views. Luxurious custom finishes throughout. Must see!

Stay Fit

NEW YEAR, NEW HOME While the gym membership may gather dust once the New Year’s resolutions have faded, a change of address is a possible and practical goal for 2016. January and February are busier months in the real estate market, and Metro Phoenix is currently the eighth most affordable big US city in which to buy a house. This means more leverage for buyers, and while others are sitting on the fence to list, this could result in less competition for prospective sellers.

Armed with a down payment, the savvy homebuyer’s check list should include acquiring their credit score in advance, which will help secure loan pre-approval from a reliable lender. Finding the ideal neighborhood is easy by researching online and by car.

Whether buying or selling, a qualified real estate agent could save you big money when negotiating the best possible deal. Checking off the boxes and resolving to make a new move can indeed make it a Sweet ’16!

Call Tracy at 480.560.7000 for the most effective marketing for your Arizona Luxury property.

TracyFitzgerald.com Your referrals are the heart and soul of my business. The highest compliment that I can receive is a referral to one of your friends, relatives or business associates. Your trust and confidence is greatly appreciated.

If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for that listing.

Get Resolved!

6,923 SF| 5 Bed | 6.5 Bath | Offered at $1,970,000

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

Trulia, Zillow & Realtor.com

Which Website is Best?

Roka Akor’s

Lamb Cutlets in Korean Spices

Entertainer’s Dream Home

Featured Listing Presented

By Tracy Fitzgerald