Live Beautifully | September 2020

20 20

When it comes to the North Scottsdale lifestyle and area real estate, The Luckys are proud to be the eminent source for their clients.

SEPTEMBER

With 100s of millions of dollars in sales under their belts, The Luckys are honored to be reputed as the most proficient

Lisa | Matt | Laura

and skilled in the industry.

2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018

602.320.8415 | Lucky@RussLyon.com View more luxury listings at LisaLucky.com

offered at

offered at

$1,850,000 ________

$1,025,000 ________

MLS 6116238

MLS 6103758

In This Issue OF OUR SONORAN DESERT

COMMUNITY CONNECTION ________________

Spotlight On: Sojourner Center REAL ESTATE CORNER ________________

Owning Rental Properties for Retirement Income

Glenn Moor at Troon Village

Desert Summit

10801 E Happy Valley Road 84 | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 4 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,305 SQ FT | 3-Car Garage

11589 E Four Peaks Road | Scottsdale, AZ 85262 5 Bed + Den + Loft | 3.5 Bath | 4,615 SQ FT | 3-Car Garage

YOUR HOME ________________

Setting Up Your “New Normal” Home Office GOOD NEWS ________________

Stories to Brighten Your Day

SEPTEMBER 2020 offered at

offered at

$634,000 ________

$710,000 ________

MLS 6101907

MLS 6088922

NEW & NOTEWORTHY ________________

People, Places & Things to Know About FEATURED PROPERTIES ________________

Discover the Home of Your Dreams in North Scottsdale

Tesoro at Grayhawk

Tusayan at Troon Village

19475 N Grayhawk Drive 1023 | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 2 Bed + Den | 2 Bath | 1,920 SQ FT | 2-Car Garage

10843 E La Junta Road | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 2 Bed + Den | 2.5 Bath | 2,674 SQ FT | 2-Car Garage

Often, when one thinks of a desert,

they picture endless vistas of sand dunes devoid of plant life and inhabited by only slithering snakes and giant scorpions. Perhaps that’s the case in other deserts around the world, but our gorgeous Sonoran Desert is amazingly bio-diverse, teeming with thousands of species of plants and animals. We thought we’d share some interesting facts about our beautiful desert, some that you may not have realized. Enjoy!

Encompassing a whopping 100,000 square miles, the Sonoran Desert spreads from most of the southern half of Arizona, southeastern California, most of the Baja California peninsula, and much of the Mexican state of Sonora.

Our desert is the hottest of any desert in North America, however, more rain falls here than in any other desert in the world – an average of 10 inches a year to be specific. No doubt, that rainfall helps to boost the incredible amount of flora and fauna that make their home here.

You’ll find over 2,000 species of plants in the desert, including the mighty saguaro cactus.

In fact, the Sonoran Desert is the only place in the world in which the saguaro grows, and the saguaro has become the unofficial iconic symbol for our area. Don’t mess with our precious saguaros – anyone transplanting or destroying a saguaro without a license is subject to a hefty $10,000 fine! The Desert Ironwood tree is also only found in the Sonoran and provides shelter and food for many different animals. Did you know these trees can live up to 1,500 years?

CORPORATE OFFICE:

CONTACT:

The Luckys North Scottsdale 7669 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite 110 Scottsdale, AZ 85255

602.320.8415 Lucky@RussLyon.com LisaLucky.com

With at least 60 species of mammals, 20 of amphibians, 100 different reptiles, 350 species of birds, over 100 native bee species, and over 30 native fish species; the animals that make the desert their home are all part of a delicate balance keeping the area thriving with life. In the area south of Tucson and near the Mexico border, our desert boasts the only population of jaguars living in the United States.

With extreme diurnal temperatures and seasonal climate extremes, the Sonoran Desert is known for its scorching high temperatures. Yet snow and frost aren’t completely uncommon. In fact, Mount Lemmon near Tucson even boasts a ski resort!

OWNING RENTAL PROPERTIES

for retirement income

YOUR ROI WILL ADJUST WITH INFLATION The money invested in the stock market, for instance, will be worth less over time due to inflation. Rents, on the other hand, keep pace with inflation, as do the home values themselves. As inflation increases over the years, so can the rents you ask for.

DIVERSIFICATION The stock market and the housing market usually rise and fall independently of one another. Owning a portfolio of both is smart business to balance out the poor performance of one or the other at any given time.

TAX ADVANTAGES Most expenses for the property are completely tax deductible: property maintenance, closing costs, property management, accounting and legal fees, even the mortgage interest itself. The IRS also allows investors to take depreciation deductions each year on the properties you own.

new

Center

& NOTEWORTHY WHAT THEY DO: Since 1977, Sojourner Center has been a safe haven from domestic violence for women and their children in Arizona. Since its founding, the center has transformed lives by providing shelter and support services to more than 60,000 adults and children affected by domestic violence.

Its support services include emergency services, children and youth services, and community-based services. Sojourner helps individuals and families with: • emergency shelter • transitional housing • 24-hour crisis hotline • pet companion shelter • child development center • after school programming • evening childcare support • youth support groups • advocacy resources & referrals • mobile advocacy • lay legal services • workforce development services

Sojourner Center has been a safe haven from domestic violence for women and their children in Arizona

HOW CAN YOU HELP? In addition to much-needed donations, individual and group volunteer efforts are also appreciated. Volunteer activities include childcare, homework help, pet shelter work, kitchen support, speaker’s bureau, donation sorting, donation drives, fundraising events, store support, cleaning, painting, upkeep, and repairs.

Buying undervalued, cash-flow properties takes expertise and knowhow. That’s why having a trusted team at your disposal to hunt down those properties is key. Turn to us to guide you into rental properties for funding your retirement. Contact us at 602.320.8415 or lucky@russlyon.com.

REAL E S TAT E

corner

SojournerCenter.org

Setting Up Your “New Normal” Home Office IF YOU’RE LIKE MANY WORKING AMERICANS, you may have found yourself working remotely at home in an effort to stave off the spread of the pandemic.

Further, it’s estimated that once it’s safe for workers to head back into their offices, there will be 25-30% of workers that continue to work from home indefinitely.

If you’ve set up shop temporarily but are finding that your home office is going to be your new normal, consider these important guidelines when settling in for the long haul at home.

Functionality Your office space needs to be an environment that fosters focus and concentration, while making it easy to get your work done. Find a place with little to no distractions. Ensure that there are plenty of outlets for your electronics, and of course, a reliable internet connection. Lighting is key and a source of natural light is generally preferred. A desk lamp or floor lamp will also prove useful for those nights you’re burning the midnight oil. If you’ve found yourself on Zoom video conferences on any regular basis, take the time and effort to situate yourself in front of a pleasant background, ensure your camera angle is either eye height or slightly higher (laptop risers come in handy here), and invest in proper lighting designed specifically for video calls, such as the LED Lume Cube that attaches to your monitor.

Ergonomics If your chair isn’t comfortable, your desk isn’t the right height, your computer monitor isn’t positioned comfortably, or the lighting in your space is causing eye strain; how many hours can you work like that until your body begins complaining? Perhaps most important is your desk chair. Invest in a top-of-the-line chair that is designed to give hours and hours of comfort and support day in and day out. For your desk and monitor, you need to ensure that you don’t have to hunch over, you’re able to have normal head tilt while working, and that your elbows, feet, and back are in a comfortable, natural position.

Organization Are you a stacker or a filer? If you generally work with files and papers at the ready on your desk, find ways to keep it all organized such as desktop filing systems or trays to corral your paperwork. If you prefer a pristine desktop, have plenty of drawers and cabinets to store your files and office supplies. Lastly, be sure to tame your inevitable bundle of cords with cable clips and cord catchers.

Design/Aesthetics Don’t forget to create a workspace that either jazzes you up and makes it a joy to work or calms and soothes you in an effort to foster focus and concentration. No matter your preferred work environment, make sure it just plain feels good to you. Consider the paint color on your walls, the accessories you choose, and the overall “mood” that your room conveys.

Art For The Heart

Sealed With A Handshake

When young Daisy Watt was only six years old, she decided to paint a picture to

In 1992, buddies Tom Cook and Joe Feeney agreed that

cheer up her grandparents who were diagnosed with cancer. Her mother, herself

if either won the lottery, they’d split the winnings fair and

with an art degree, instantly recognized Daisy’s talent and suggested she paint

square – no matter who bought the ticket. Jump forward

some works to be auctioned at a local gallery for cancer charities. The signature

to the summer of 2020 and that one-in-300-million

painting she created varied in tone, going from dark to light, to represent the battle

chance came to fruition. When Tom learned he held the

with cancer and bidders from all over the world strove to buy her work. Since then,

winning numbers to the $22 million Powerball jackpot,

Daisy has earned tens of thousands of dollars on her art and has donated it all to

he promptly called his dear friend Joe to share the news – and the payout! Both men have since retired and

charity.

our looking forward to more family time and traveling with their wives.

FILL ‘ER UP! When you’re on the search for some premium fuel to keep your "engine" primed and ready for anything, there’s nothing like a boost of caffeine to get your blood pumping. Some folks swear

by Black Rock Coffee Bar, and a location recently opened up to bleary-eyed coffee lovers at the corner of Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. The taste-budtempting and ever-popular Caramel Blondie or Mexican Mocha are sure to keep you humming, but the I.V. – made with Irish cream, vanilla breve and six (count ‘em!) six shots is only for you serious bean heads out there.

BR.coffee

TOWERING ABOVE SCOTTSDALE The luxe Optima Kierland project at Scottsdale Road and Greenway-Hayden Loop has recently released its newest tower, the 7140.

Known for its distinct combination of space, style, and design; Optima Kierland offers an impressive in-home concierge program, a rooftop skydeck, an outdoor spa, a dog park and pet spa, a golf simulator, indoor theatre, an outdoor bar, lounge and kitchen, and event spaces with retractable glass walls.

Can you say “amenities, amenities, amenities”?

Let us show you around!

Optima-Kierland.com

September

ONGOING INCOME A traditional retirement plan involves using a certain amount of your nest egg each year to live on. As the years go by, the nest egg dwindles down and your net worth decreases. Including rental properties in your portfolio can keep your wealth growing, not shrinking. With proper cash flow, you’ll find the rental incomes paying you month after month and the expected property appreciation over time can add to your net worth.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Sojourner

2020

There are many ways to fund your retirement including building a nest egg by saving over the years, investing in stocks or annuities, and funding retirement accounts such as a 401(k) or IRA. If managed properly, all are excellent ways to build a portfolio in which to live on after working. However, there is another means of funding your retirement that is very attractive to savvy investors: owning incomeproducing rental properties.

OWNING RENTAL PROPERTIES

for retirement income

YOUR ROI WILL ADJUST WITH INFLATION The money invested in the stock market, for instance, will be worth less over time due to inflation. Rents, on the other hand, keep pace with inflation, as do the home values themselves. As inflation increases over the years, so can the rents you ask for.

DIVERSIFICATION The stock market and the housing market usually rise and fall independently of one another. Owning a portfolio of both is smart business to balance out the poor performance of one or the other at any given time.

TAX ADVANTAGES Most expenses for the property are completely tax deductible: property maintenance, closing costs, property management, accounting and legal fees, even the mortgage interest itself. The IRS also allows investors to take depreciation deductions each year on the properties you own.

new

Center

& NOTEWORTHY WHAT THEY DO: Since 1977, Sojourner Center has been a safe haven from domestic violence for women and their children in Arizona. Since its founding, the center has transformed lives by providing shelter and support services to more than 60,000 adults and children affected by domestic violence.

Its support services include emergency services, children and youth services, and community-based services. Sojourner helps individuals and families with: • emergency shelter • transitional housing • 24-hour crisis hotline • pet companion shelter • child development center • after school programming • evening childcare support • youth support groups • advocacy resources & referrals • mobile advocacy • lay legal services • workforce development services

Sojourner Center has been a safe haven from domestic violence for women and their children in Arizona

HOW CAN YOU HELP? In addition to much-needed donations, individual and group volunteer efforts are also appreciated. Volunteer activities include childcare, homework help, pet shelter work, kitchen support, speaker’s bureau, donation sorting, donation drives, fundraising events, store support, cleaning, painting, upkeep, and repairs.

Buying undervalued, cash-flow properties takes expertise and knowhow. That’s why having a trusted team at your disposal to hunt down those properties is key. Turn to us to guide you into rental properties for funding your retirement. Contact us at 602.320.8415 or lucky@russlyon.com.

REAL E S TAT E

corner

SojournerCenter.org

Setting Up Your “New Normal” Home Office IF YOU’RE LIKE MANY WORKING AMERICANS, you may have found yourself working remotely at home in an effort to stave off the spread of the pandemic.

Further, it’s estimated that once it’s safe for workers to head back into their offices, there will be 25-30% of workers that continue to work from home indefinitely.

If you’ve set up shop temporarily but are finding that your home office is going to be your new normal, consider these important guidelines when settling in for the long haul at home.

Functionality Your office space needs to be an environment that fosters focus and concentration, while making it easy to get your work done. Find a place with little to no distractions. Ensure that there are plenty of outlets for your electronics, and of course, a reliable internet connection. Lighting is key and a source of natural light is generally preferred. A desk lamp or floor lamp will also prove useful for those nights you’re burning the midnight oil. If you’ve found yourself on Zoom video conferences on any regular basis, take the time and effort to situate yourself in front of a pleasant background, ensure your camera angle is either eye height or slightly higher (laptop risers come in handy here), and invest in proper lighting designed specifically for video calls, such as the LED Lume Cube that attaches to your monitor.

Ergonomics If your chair isn’t comfortable, your desk isn’t the right height, your computer monitor isn’t positioned comfortably, or the lighting in your space is causing eye strain; how many hours can you work like that until your body begins complaining? Perhaps most important is your desk chair. Invest in a top-of-the-line chair that is designed to give hours and hours of comfort and support day in and day out. For your desk and monitor, you need to ensure that you don’t have to hunch over, you’re able to have normal head tilt while working, and that your elbows, feet, and back are in a comfortable, natural position.

Organization Are you a stacker or a filer? If you generally work with files and papers at the ready on your desk, find ways to keep it all organized such as desktop filing systems or trays to corral your paperwork. If you prefer a pristine desktop, have plenty of drawers and cabinets to store your files and office supplies. Lastly, be sure to tame your inevitable bundle of cords with cable clips and cord catchers.

Design/Aesthetics Don’t forget to create a workspace that either jazzes you up and makes it a joy to work or calms and soothes you in an effort to foster focus and concentration. No matter your preferred work environment, make sure it just plain feels good to you. Consider the paint color on your walls, the accessories you choose, and the overall “mood” that your room conveys.

Art For The Heart

Sealed With A Handshake

When young Daisy Watt was only six years old, she decided to paint a picture to

In 1992, buddies Tom Cook and Joe Feeney agreed that

cheer up her grandparents who were diagnosed with cancer. Her mother, herself

if either won the lottery, they’d split the winnings fair and

with an art degree, instantly recognized Daisy’s talent and suggested she paint

square – no matter who bought the ticket. Jump forward

some works to be auctioned at a local gallery for cancer charities. The signature

to the summer of 2020 and that one-in-300-million

painting she created varied in tone, going from dark to light, to represent the battle

chance came to fruition. When Tom learned he held the

with cancer and bidders from all over the world strove to buy her work. Since then,

winning numbers to the $22 million Powerball jackpot,

Daisy has earned tens of thousands of dollars on her art and has donated it all to

he promptly called his dear friend Joe to share the news – and the payout! Both men have since retired and

charity.

our looking forward to more family time and traveling with their wives.

FILL ‘ER UP! When you’re on the search for some premium fuel to keep your "engine" primed and ready for anything, there’s nothing like a boost of caffeine to get your blood pumping. Some folks swear

by Black Rock Coffee Bar, and a location recently opened up to bleary-eyed coffee lovers at the corner of Bell Road and Thompson Peak Parkway. The taste-budtempting and ever-popular Caramel Blondie or Mexican Mocha are sure to keep you humming, but the I.V. – made with Irish cream, vanilla breve and six (count ‘em!) six shots is only for you serious bean heads out there.

BR.coffee

TOWERING ABOVE SCOTTSDALE The luxe Optima Kierland project at Scottsdale Road and Greenway-Hayden Loop has recently released its newest tower, the 7140.

Known for its distinct combination of space, style, and design; Optima Kierland offers an impressive in-home concierge program, a rooftop skydeck, an outdoor spa, a dog park and pet spa, a golf simulator, indoor theatre, an outdoor bar, lounge and kitchen, and event spaces with retractable glass walls.

Can you say “amenities, amenities, amenities”?

Let us show you around!

Optima-Kierland.com

September

ONGOING INCOME A traditional retirement plan involves using a certain amount of your nest egg each year to live on. As the years go by, the nest egg dwindles down and your net worth decreases. Including rental properties in your portfolio can keep your wealth growing, not shrinking. With proper cash flow, you’ll find the rental incomes paying you month after month and the expected property appreciation over time can add to your net worth.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Sojourner

2020

There are many ways to fund your retirement including building a nest egg by saving over the years, investing in stocks or annuities, and funding retirement accounts such as a 401(k) or IRA. If managed properly, all are excellent ways to build a portfolio in which to live on after working. However, there is another means of funding your retirement that is very attractive to savvy investors: owning incomeproducing rental properties.

20 20

When it comes to the North Scottsdale lifestyle and area real estate, The Luckys are proud to be the eminent source for their clients.

SEPTEMBER

With 100s of millions of dollars in sales under their belts, The Luckys are honored to be reputed as the most proficient

Lisa | Matt | Laura

and skilled in the industry.

2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018

602.320.8415 | Lucky@RussLyon.com View more luxury listings at LisaLucky.com

offered at

offered at

$1,850,000 ________

$1,025,000 ________

MLS 6116238

MLS 6103758

In This Issue OF OUR SONORAN DESERT

COMMUNITY CONNECTION ________________

Spotlight On: Sojourner Center REAL ESTATE CORNER ________________

Owning Rental Properties for Retirement Income

Glenn Moor at Troon Village

Desert Summit

10801 E Happy Valley Road 84 | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 4 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,305 SQ FT | 3-Car Garage

11589 E Four Peaks Road | Scottsdale, AZ 85262 5 Bed + Den + Loft | 3.5 Bath | 4,615 SQ FT | 3-Car Garage

YOUR HOME ________________

Setting Up Your “New Normal” Home Office GOOD NEWS ________________

Stories to Brighten Your Day

SEPTEMBER 2020 offered at

offered at

$634,000 ________

$710,000 ________

MLS 6101907

MLS 6088922

NEW & NOTEWORTHY ________________

People, Places & Things to Know About FEATURED PROPERTIES ________________

Discover the Home of Your Dreams in North Scottsdale

Tesoro at Grayhawk

Tusayan at Troon Village

19475 N Grayhawk Drive 1023 | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 2 Bed + Den | 2 Bath | 1,920 SQ FT | 2-Car Garage

10843 E La Junta Road | Scottsdale, AZ 85255 2 Bed + Den | 2.5 Bath | 2,674 SQ FT | 2-Car Garage

Often, when one thinks of a desert,

they picture endless vistas of sand dunes devoid of plant life and inhabited by only slithering snakes and giant scorpions. Perhaps that’s the case in other deserts around the world, but our gorgeous Sonoran Desert is amazingly bio-diverse, teeming with thousands of species of plants and animals. We thought we’d share some interesting facts about our beautiful desert, some that you may not have realized. Enjoy!

Encompassing a whopping 100,000 square miles, the Sonoran Desert spreads from most of the southern half of Arizona, southeastern California, most of the Baja California peninsula, and much of the Mexican state of Sonora.

Our desert is the hottest of any desert in North America, however, more rain falls here than in any other desert in the world – an average of 10 inches a year to be specific. No doubt, that rainfall helps to boost the incredible amount of flora and fauna that make their home here.

You’ll find over 2,000 species of plants in the desert, including the mighty saguaro cactus.

In fact, the Sonoran Desert is the only place in the world in which the saguaro grows, and the saguaro has become the unofficial iconic symbol for our area. Don’t mess with our precious saguaros – anyone transplanting or destroying a saguaro without a license is subject to a hefty $10,000 fine! The Desert Ironwood tree is also only found in the Sonoran and provides shelter and food for many different animals. Did you know these trees can live up to 1,500 years?

CORPORATE OFFICE:

CONTACT:

The Luckys North Scottsdale 7669 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite 110 Scottsdale, AZ 85255

602.320.8415 Lucky@RussLyon.com LisaLucky.com

With at least 60 species of mammals, 20 of amphibians, 100 different reptiles, 350 species of birds, over 100 native bee species, and over 30 native fish species; the animals that make the desert their home are all part of a delicate balance keeping the area thriving with life. In the area south of Tucson and near the Mexico border, our desert boasts the only population of jaguars living in the United States.

With extreme diurnal temperatures and seasonal climate extremes, the Sonoran Desert is known for its scorching high temperatures. Yet snow and frost aren’t completely uncommon. In fact, Mount Lemmon near Tucson even boasts a ski resort!