Browse our blog to stay informed about real estate news.
Smartphone addiction has become a problem for many Americans, both adults and children. With so much information available and so many ways to interact with others online, some people spend so much time on their phones that their real lives and relationships suffer as a result.What Causes Smartphone Addiction?Overreliance on a smartphone often starts out as a way of trying to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness or problems with real-world relationships. Using a smartphone releases dopamine in the brain, which can create a feeling similar to that caused by drugs or alcohol. Over time, a person can build up a tolerance and need more screen time to trigger the same positive feeling.How Smartphone Addiction Can Affect Real LifeTrying to remedy emotional problems with a smartphone tends to make them worse. Spending hours a day looking at a screen keeps people from interacting with others face to face and forming meaningful connections in real life. People with smartphone addiction often find themselves feeling more stressed, anxious, and alone, but they continue to seek help from the devices that are contributing to the problem.Excessive use of a smartphone can make it difficult to concentrate. The endless stream of texts, emails, and social media alerts, or the desire to constantly check to avoid missing out, can prevent people from focusing on work, school, their families and friends, and household tasks.A smartphone in the bedroom can interfere with sleep. Many people check their phones when they have trouble falling asleep, but the blue light from a smartphone can make sleeping even harder.Are You Addicted?There is no specific amount of time per day spent using a smartphone that means someone is addicted. For many people, a smartphone is required for work and to keep in touch with family and friends. Using a phone becomes a problem when it interferes with real-world relationships and responsibilities.If you think you may be addicted to your smartphone, recognizing the problem is the first step. It can help to keep track of how much time you spend using your phone, the time of day, and your emotional state when you reach for it to identify any triggers.How to Deal with Smartphone AddictionWith our reliance on smartphones, addiction to the devices has become a serious problem. If your phone has started to interfere with your life, you can reduce your reliance on it and engage more with others in real life. If you arent sure if you have a problem, ask your family and friends for their impressions and insights.If youre using your phone too much, make an effort to put it down, schedule visits with family and friends, and find ways to meet new people. A therapist or support group can help you deal with underlying issues that led to your smartphone addiction and help you cope with withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, restlessness, and trouble sleeping and concentrating.Published with permission from RISMedia.
Published with permission from RISMedia.
Kids seem to outgrow everything. Toys, stuffed animals and, of course, clothes can all seem a little too old or small for children as they grow up.Clothes can be especially difficult to deal with because they tend to pile up, require weekly cleanings and end up being too small before they get much use out of them.One way to deal with this is to create a minimalist wardrobe for your children. Paring down what they own"and what youll buy"to what can fit in a suitcase can save both you and your children time when it comes to determining what theyll wear each day. It should also save you money, make getting dressed simpler, leave less clutter in your home and cut down on the amount of trips to the laundry room each week.Here are some tips for creating a minimalist wardrobe for your children:What Do They Really Need?Make a list of the clothes your kids need. This can change by season, but can include pajamas, pants, shorts, shirts, sweatshirts, jacket, shoes, underwear and socks.How much of a certain type of clothing your child owns is ultimately up to you, but it should be enough to get them through four days before having to do laundry. If you dont mind washing clothes more often, you can limit it to three days of clothes, or extend out to seven if you want to do laundry once a week.As you begin to pare down your child’s wardrobe, be sure to keep a handful of their favorite pieces of clothing. You want them to feel that theyre a part of this process.Create OutfitsAs much as possible, each piece of clothing should work with everything else. Try to choose clothing without graphics, slogans, sequins or anything else other than a simple pattern.Colors should be basic and bright, making it easy to shop for coordinated pieces by color. Choose a palette and stick to it"but not white, which stains easily. Most of the shirts, for example, should be able to be worn with most of the pants.When buying clothes, it can pay off in the long run to buy higher-quality items than what you may have bought in the past. Remember, youre buying fewer items, and higher-quality ones should last longer. Washing them more often may cut down their lifetime a little more, but not as much as it would cheaper clothing.Keep the Extras for a BitDont pack up all of the extra clothes for donation just yet. Stash them in a bag in another room for at least a month so you can see how well the minimalist wardrobe is working.You may need the extra clothes to fill gaps in the new wardrobe or to replace clothes that end up not working for any number of reasons.Published with permission from RISMedia.
A credit card’s mobile app can give you immediate access to your account, making it easier to track purchases, make payments, review monthly statements, report a lost card and view rewards, among other things.But not all mobile apps are the same, and knowing what’s available can make it easier to choose a credit card and find the features you want in an app. Of course, that’s after you’ve found the card with the best interest rate and rewards you want.A 2018 satisfaction study by J.D. Power ranked the best apps on five factors: ease of navigation, appearance, clarity of information, range of services and availability of key information. Here are the top five credit card apps based on the results:American ExpressThis was the only app to receive a rating of five out of five. The American Express mobile app allows users to track transactions, check monthly statements, redeem rewards and explore card benefits. Fraud notifications can also be set.ChaseThis app rated three out of five in J.D. Power’s satisfaction survey. It can be used to review and pay Chase credit card bills, access rewards information and set up notifications. The app also allows you to view your VantageScore credit score, as well as secure messages from Chase’s customer service team.CitiCiti also scored three out of five, with an app that allows users to view a summary of their main account information before signing in. Your credit card can be locked if your card is lost or stolen, and you can request a replacement card through the app, as well. You can also view transactions and pay your bill, as most other credit card apps allow. Citi also allows users to dispute unauthorized transactions, view and redeem rewards, and check their FICO credit score.Bank of AmericaAllowing common services such as paying your credit card bill, viewing transactions, accessing your FICO score, getting account alerts and redeeming rewards, the Bank of America app scored a three out of five.Capital OneThis app received a rating of four out of five. Along with allowing users to review transactions and statements, view and redeem rewards, pay their credit card bill, and set up purchase notifications, the Capital One app has two top features that users say they want: the ability to instantly lock a card if it’s lost or stolen, as well as the ability to unlock the card and continue using it if it’s found.Capital One also allows users to sign in using a pattern traced with a finger instead of typing in a password. Additionally, the app provides access to the company’s credit monitoring service and VantageScore credit score.Published with permission from RISMedia.
While some couples opt to keep things separate, sharing a credit card can help when it comes to streamlining household money management. But it isn’t always easy. Whether you add someone to your credit card as an authorized user or open a joint account, problems can pop up if you’re not careful. Here are three common ones to look out for:Maxing out your credit limit. You’ve just doubled the chance of reaching your credit limit by adding another person to the account. Even if you don’t come close to maxing a card out, a spouse’s spending could hurt your credit score. Remember that using more than 30 percent of your available credit limit can lower your credit score.To combat this problem, set up alerts to know when your credit balance reaches a certain limit, and have regular discussions with your spouse about upcoming expenses. Pay the credit card bill in full each month and, if you can, pay the bill more than once per billing cycle to keep your credit utilization rate low. Doing so should improve your credit score.Not assigning responsibility for paying the bill. Late fees can add up if one of you forgets to pay the credit card bill one month"or two.Determine who is responsible for paying the bill every month, and don’t rotate this duty. While one of you should be responsible for paying the bill, both of you should know how to log in to the account online and pay the bill if it becomes necessary at some point down the road.In addition to email alerts letting you know when a bill is due, automatic credit card payments can be set up, although you want to make sure your bank account has enough cash to cover payments when due dates roll around.Using rewards. There are plenty of things to decide together as a couple, and how you as a couple use your credit card rewards can cause some friction.Points can be redeemed often or saved up, and while you may want to spend them on airline tickets, your spouse may find it more beneficial to use them at a hotel. Or, you may want to redeem your rewards for cash, while your better half wants to spend them on gifts.If you can’t agree on how to redeem rewards, find a card with a lot of options such as travel, cash back and gift cards.You can also choose different cards for different expenses. For example, you could find the best travel rewards card and only use it to pay for travel, while finding another card for everyday expenses. Redeeming the points for cash back can help offset some of your daily expenses.Published with permission from RISMedia.
Here are five features that will provide an upscale feel to your outdoor spaceCovered SeatingBe it a loggia, pergola or trellis, provide a comfortable place to gather outdoors.Infinity PoolIn addition to providing a place to swim on a hot day, infinity pools have a certain wow factor.Entertaining AreaAn outdoor kitchen, barbecue, or wet bar ensure that all entertaining needs are accounted for.Fire it UpA fire in the evenings is one of the ultimate backyard luxuries. Its a focal point and natural place to gather around.Privacy & PlantingsThoughtful landscape design will make a backyard or terrace feel like your own private escape.Published with permission from RISMedia.
Did your toddler scribble on the walls? Or perhaps a year or two of wear and tear have your interior paints looking less than pristine. If your walls could use a little TLC, but you’re not quite ready for a fresh coat of paint, consider the following methods for freshening up.Latex PaintsWhether you have dirt or dust clogging up your paint job, all you need to do is mix a few drops of dish soap into warm water, soak and wring a sponge, and go. Be sure to wring the sponge to avoid long drips making their way down your walls and right into your electrical socket.If you don’t want to use dish soap, two tablespoons of white vinegar to one gallon of water will also do the trick.Warning: Never use a scrubby sponge, brillo pad or harsh cleaning solution, or you could risk ruining your paint job.Oil-Based PaintsIf your interior paint is oil-based and soap or vinegar just aren’t cutting it, you can safely use a mild degreaser"especially helpful on greasy kitchen walls. Just be sure to follow the instructions on your package carefully to avoid ruining your paint.Again, avoid harsh scrubbing pads or other cleaners, or you may find yourself repainting, pronto.Published with permission from RISMedia.
Published with permission from RISMedia.
When it's time to move, you need someone who markets your home, knows how to find the right buyer, negotiate on your behalf, oversee the inspections, handle all necessary paperwork and supervise the closing. We take care of everything you need buy or sell your Scottsdale home, from start to close.
Let's Connect