Real Estate

Home Improvement...Yea or Nay?

By Shelley Sakala, Realtor

In this month’s real estate column, local realtor Shelley Sakala addresses the topic of upgrades in response to a reader’s question. “Now that the market has cooled off a little, I’m rethinking my home improvement plans. Should I hold off ? Should I go for it?” asks Marcus, a Phoenix homeowner.

THE EXPERT’S ANSWER

Today’s homeowners are more informed than ever, with access to online resources for calculating and forecasting home values. They’re factoring in return-oninvestment, neighborhood comps, and curb appeal when deciding whether to do home upgrades.

With this in mind, I always ask one key question when homeowners ask my advice on home improvement: How long do you plan to stay in that house? Knowing the answer can guide you when planning upgrades to your home. I like to divide improvement projects into three categories based on how long you’ll be there.

1. Short-term Stay (1-2 years) 2. Medium-term Stay (3-5 years) 3. Long-term Stay (5+ years)

PROJECTS FOR SHORT-TERM STAYS

If you only intend to stay in your house for a couple of years, you might not want to sink a bunch of money into your home. Here’s why: A $100,000 swimming pool may only bump up your home price by $20,000-$30,000. Great family fun but a not-so-great ROI. Instead, consider doing cosmetic upgrades to the décor such as interior paint, cabinet hardware, curtain rods, and toilet seats. These DIY projects don’t require a contractor and the price point is relatively low. You’ll end up with a quick refresh you can enjoy while you’re still living there.

PROJECTS FOR MEDIUM-TERM STAYS

Medium-term projects include switching out the light fi xtures, replacing the carpeting, or installing new ceiling fans. You may need to hire a handyman and shell out a few more bucks for the projects, but you’ll be in the house long enough to enjoy the upgrades before you move. Installing new faucets, for example, will set you back a few hundred dollars each, but will instantly modernize a tired-looking kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.

PROJECTS FOR LONG-TERM STAYS

You’ve decided to stay awhile. Maybe it’s your “forever” house. This is where you go for it with home improvement projects because you’re not worried about profi t margin or ROI. This could mean new fl ooring, windows, countertops, or even a swimming pool. You’re about to cross over from “redecorating” to “remodeling,” which requires a contractor (and a few more zeroes on the price tag), but you’ll love the results for years to come.

Whatever you choose to do and however much you choose to spend, remember that any on-trend enhancements will make your home more appealing to a buyer (if and when you decide to sell). You might not see a dollar-for-dollar return on your investment, but a more desirable home usually sells faster. That’s something you’ll appreciate down the road.

Shelley Sakala is a local realtor and owner of The Sakala Group Real Estate. Learn more at shelleysakala. com.

Cover Story

New Possibilities NEW SCHOOL YEAR,

DVUSD’s New School, Gifted Program, and Online Campus

By Shay Moser

More than 32,000 youth returned to Deer Valley Unifi ed School District (DVUSD) classrooms for the new school year—a year highlighted with a new elementary school, a new full continuum gifted program, and a new “home” campus for online students.

Nearly a year ago, dignitaries helped break ground for DVUSD’s Inspiration Mountain School in Stetson Valley, which opened its doors on Aug. 3 with the district. Las Brisas Elementary began a robust continuum of schoolwide gifted services for all students. In addition, Deer Valley’s Online Learning Academy, Aspire, opened a collaborative community space to off er the next generation of extraordinary experiences to all DVUSD stakeholders.

To get the details on these new off erings, we asked these DVUSD school leaders. INSPIRATION MOUNTAIN SCHOOL WELCOMES STUDENTS Students in kindergarten to sixth grade entered the doors for the fi rst time at Inspiration Mountain School at 5757 Inspiration Mountain Parkway, near 57th Avenue and Happy Valley Road.

Between the groundbreaking in September 2021 and the fi rst day of school in August, district offi cials hired a principal, Dr. JoAnn Schwarting, who coordinated the selection process to determine the school’s name, colors, and mascot.

“I’m very community oriented. And so, we involved our community in every process of developing those initial components,” says Schwarting, who has served the Deer Valley Unifi ed School District since 2005.

Inspiration Mountain became the newest DVUSD school name through community meetings and surveys. The community chose black and blue out of fi ve color choices and got behind the Knights for the mascot.

“Many planned communities like to name their school after the topographical area, streets, mountains. The school is on Inspiration Mountain Parkway Loop, so that was a given,” explains Schwarting, who spent the past six years leading Desert Mountain School as principal.

Along with a new name, colors, and mascot, the 14-acre, 72,742 square-foot new school off ers unique features, including an upgraded media center and makerspaces to allow for the STEAM curriculum focus (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). In addition, shade structures, baseball and soccer fi elds, bus routing, and parking add to the outdoor area.

“We’re standing on the shoulders of giants, and you learn from each school you build. We’re fortunate at Inspiration Mountain to have outdoor learning spaces,” says Schwarting, who has also taught seventh-grade English language arts at Desert Mountain School and served as an assistant principal and instructional coach of Desert Sky Middle School throughout her time with the district.

Inspiration Mountain’s media center is “a beautiful, wide-open space,” Schwarting says, from classes for students to professional development for teachers and shelves of new books. Four shade sails extend learning spaces outdoors. “We’re nestled in this little valley amidst these beautiful foothills. So, the view is gorgeous from campus.”

While Inspiration Mountain currently serves kindergarten through sixth grade students, it has plans to expand to a kindergarten through eighthgrade campus. “The journey is just beginning,” says Schwarting. “We welcomed students a couple of weeks ago, and the energy—everybody is so excited.”

Inspiration Mountain students and parents will be able to show their enthusiasm at the school’s monthly community spirit assemblies, where they’ll honor professions that serve the community.

INTRODUCING THE GIFTED ACADEMY AT LAS BRISAS ELEMENTARY Las Brisas Gifted Academy also opened in August, and, regardless of gifted identifi cation, gifted-trained teachers teach all students gifted instructional strategies daily. The gifted instructional strategies focus on choice and exploration and are highly diff erentiated based upon readiness, content, and learning outcome.

The gifted academy starts with Las Brisas Bright Beginnings Programs, servicing gifted identifi ed students in grades preschool through second grade, giving the youngest students a solid and enriching beginning for their learning journey. Students are reassessed at the end of second grade to see what gifted programming they qualify for in third grade and above.

Qualifying third through sixth-grade students attend the district’s new Renaissance Highly Gifted and Global Studies Program. This self-contained program off ers an immersive project and problem-based environment focusing on global cultures and languages.

Las Brisas Gifted Academy is the only school in the Deer Valley Unifi ed School District that provides the full continuum of services for gifted and talented students. And a range of services exists for all students, including math acceleration, pull-out enrichment, and gifted homeroom placement. All students also have access to STEAM, PE, music, and art through their special-areas rotation.

ASPIRE, DVUSD’S K-12 ONLINE SCHOOL CONTINUES AND GETS CAMPUS

While back-to-school time has most DVUSD students heading to the bus stop, others are walking to the dining room table to attend Aspire, Deer Valley’s fully accredited online academy for kindergarten to 12thgrade students.

Launched at the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the online school for kindergarten through 12th grade is continuing as an educational option for parents and students in the North Valley.

DVUSD has off ered high school students online support since 2007. “Our younger students are now reaping the benefi ts,” says Juliet Amara, DVUSD’s director for online and virtual learning. “Many of our learners from last year stayed with us for this year because they see the need and value of it.”

Aspire has grown to off er full- and part-time high school students advanced placement courses, dualenrollment, career and technical education internships, clubs, and eSports. It even provides guitar online. “We’re opening up our profi le of courses to ensure students have the opportunity for a wide breadth of educational experiences,” Amara says. “We want to help them engage in rigorous work and meet their personal needs.”

Certifi ed teachers instruct Aspire’s 150 courses under Amara’s leadership. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade participate in virtual, real-time, teacher-led instruction. Seventh and eighth graders learn through a hybrid of teacher-led education and prepared resources, and ninth through 12th grade students learn through crafted resources, with open lab access to teachers during virtual and in-person offi ce hours.

In addition to its traditional course off erings, the academy off ers music, art, and physical education and technology at the elementary level and a variety of electives and exploratory classes to middle schoolers.

“Aspire is fortunate to have wonderful, experienced online teachers, and they are experts on all learning management systems,” says Amara. “They’ve helped craft online learning and how to teach online to meet students where they are.”

To meet students where they are offl ine, DVUSD created the Innovation Center, which also opened this fall. “With the pandemic, our online program grew exponentially, and the need for a dedicated space became extremely important,” Amara explains. The Annex, a warehouse built in 1982 to hold district supplies and resources for DVUSD schools, was reimagined and remodeled, thanks to community support.

THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR ON FORBES’ LIST The 2022-23 school year highlights wouldn’t be complete without recapping Forbes naming Deer Valley Unifi ed School District one of America’s Best Midsize Employers in February. Previously, Forbes recognized DVUSD as one of the best places to work in Arizona for two years, which means it’s the highest ranked pre-kindergarten through 12th grade district in the country to receive this distinction.

This content sponsored by DVUSD.

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The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. The Maricopa County Community College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit http://www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.