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What is Overseeding?

Overseeding is the process of changing turf from a summer Bermuda grass to a winter rye grass (there are various variations of each grass). Essentially, the Bermuda grass doesn’t like to grow much when temperatures get below 80 degrees and it actually turns yellow from frost when the temperatures go below freezing. Rye grass prefers the temperatures to be in the 80’s or below and handles the frost just fine (as long as you don’t walk on it while frosty – thus the reason for frost delays).

Without being too technical, the overseeding process in the Phoenix area usually starts somewhere between mid-September and late October and lasts from 12-21 days depending on the course (another 7-10 days if you count discontinuing the water prior to starting).

The first step is to mow the Bermuda grass down as low as possible which turns it yellow. After cleaning up the clippings, Rye grass seed is spread throughout the course. The greens use a special blend of seed developed just for the low mowing heights. Once the course starts watering the seed, it usually takes 5-7 days to “pop” and begin to root into the soil as it grows. The course is watered several times per day as the seed must remain hydrated for optimal growth. Many courses will allow play to begin on the newly growing grass within a week of it “popping.”

Mowing heights are kept higher than normal upon opening to help keep the new turf healthy and the heights are slowly lowered every few days or per week. This is why putts on newly overseeded greens will usually roll much slower than normal. They will also break less on most putts.

Most public courses are closed for as little as 12 days which allow for the extreme mowing, seeding and seed growth. Private courses and courses with 36 holes will often keep the course closed for 19 – 26 days. Normally, a course will look great upon opening but the grass is still a little thin and will take a few to several more weeks to get dense.

It might be good to note that some high end courses – usually private courses – have Bent grass greens in the valley so they don’t have to overseed the greens (only the fairways, roughs and tees). These courses are great options to play when most courses are just opening up from the overseeding process and have slower greens.

Be sure to check out the latest 2026 Scottsdale area luxury private golf club cost comparison that I put together for you. https://dalesamar.com/scottsdale-private-golf-club-cost-comparison It is important to note that cost shouldn’t be the only consideration for you when looking for a golf membership or home. There are many subtleties that can differentiate one club from another so it is important to work with a real estate professional that understands the various types of clubs to make sure your needs are properly addressed. There are also many other great golf clubs in the valley that can fit nearly any budget. Feel free to reach out to Dale Samar with your questions.

What should you do to prepare your home for sale with limited funds? Watch this video to find out!

https://youtube.com/shorts/lQ6Mqx8uBT0

HOME RENOVATIONS FOR MOM

SPECIAL PROJECT FOR MOM
My mom and dad were always pretty conservative on their spending…okay, they were very frugal. While this characteristic served them well throughout life in many ways, it prevented them from updating their home in a manner that best resonates with today’s home buyers. The flooring, finishing and color choices of 1999 as well as hardware choices have changed. Because the home hasn’t been updated and there are also some worn areas throughout, its condition has left a pretty large gap in the “As Is” value and the potential updated value of my mom’s home.
For some homeowners, the only option is to sell to a home flipper/investor so it can be updated and then sold for a profit – for the record, there is nothing wrong with this and this is how many homes get the renovations needed to appeal to today’s buyers (and this also helps neighborhoods maintain or increase home values). However, the profit margin of the investor/flipper is what the homeowner is leaving on the table when selling in this condition. In some cases, selling to a flipper may be the best option because a quick sale is needed/desired. However, when the time, financial resources, expertise and desire are available, it may be possible to realize a much higher net sale amount when renovations can be done prior to the selling the home. This is what started our current journey…

Step 1 – Move Mom Into a Senior Community (resort-like and she loves it)
Step 2 – Remove important documents and family artifacts/pics etc. Also, remove all junk that isn’t saleable – call a junk removable company if needed – I can provide a referral.
Step 3 – Prep Home for Estate Sale – Steps 2 & 3 took approximately 200 man hours. (professionals can be hired to reduce this time for you)
Step 4 – Conduct Estate Sale (2-3 days) We did it ourselves but pros can often be hired.
Step 5 – Donate unsold items and/or continue to sell any valuable items that may be left.
Step 6 – Haul away any left over large items/trash – there always seems to be more than you think.
Step 7 – Begin Renovations – The Planning for this should certainly start earlier to gather estimates and schedule contractors. Creating an accurate budget is important. Depending on the scale, renovations can take 4 – 12 weeks or even longer.
Step 8 – Final preparations for selling the home for top price. There are many details to this step which will be detailed in a later issue.
Quick note: I gathered offers from investors – some small and one large company just to be able to illustrate the extent of the price gap. The offers were in the mid-300s for a home that we will likely list in the low-500s when renovations are complete.

Please contact me for more details and I would be honored to help!
Dale Samar – 602-799-7335

Here is an example of videos I do for remote buyers so they can better visualize the layout of homes that may be of interest to them. Many listings only provide highlight photos that don’t necessary show what is it like to walk into the home or how it flows. These videos aren’t designed to be quite as good as a professional listing video or take the place of the listing photos but it does enhance the ability for a buyer to evaluate the home.

Although I often add music and sometimes other comments, I also try to focus on things that are important to my client. In this case, my client has a desire for a quiet backyard with no road noise. Google maps showed that road noise might be an issue so I added some shots of the road behind the backyard wall.

I have seen other agents using Facetime or other similar live video but I think the YouTube video allows for multiple views, pauses, and even sharing to family/friends. I have seen some videos get dozens of views by the same client even after they go under contract so they can make preparations for furniture and possible updates or changes that they are considering.

Let me know if I can help you or someone you know from out of state that might be interested in a home in the Valley.

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Just Wanted to Share Some Pics of the Amazing Colorado Project by Mongrel Design Interiors

-Michelle Samar, Designer/Owner

Michelle was honored to be part of the design of this amazing Colorado home from very early in the process so she could really enhance the aesthetics and functionality of this beautiful home. It will provide incredible memories for multiple generations of family members as they utilize it in the coming decades.

There is too much to list for this home but just enjoy the pictures and feel free to let it inspire your next build or re-design project!

These details make homes sell for significantly more when it is time to sell as well – not that anyone would want to sell such an amazing home…

Great Job as sual Michelle!!

My Favorite New Products – RING

You’ve certainly heard about the RING Camera Doorbell and seen the videos of people tripping, slipping and/or running off with Amazon packages.
However, maybe you’ve been afraid of the effort/complexity or cost it would take to add one of these to your home. It always seemed difficult and expensive to run wires for such a device. The only friends you had that did it themselves were engineers or tech geniuses.

And what if you want additional cameras throughout your home to create a proper security network? Even if you found a system that could function through your wireless network, you still need power right? Who has outlets high up on the exterior of the house?
Thanks to the RING battery operated system of products, I now feel like a TECH GENIUS (without really being one). We are renovating our new home so we wanted to quickly add some cameras to monitor the home when we weren’t there.

We started with the Ring 4th Generation doorbell (battery model). It took more time to gather my drill & drill bits than any other part of the installation. I do recommend connecting the door bell to your WIFI first to make sure you can get the right camera angle before attaching it to your house.

With a very busy front door due to renovations, we are having to recharge the battery about once per month but the other cameras with less activity can last a few months or more. Even better though, you can also purchase a solar panel charger from Ring for about $40 that keeps the batteries continuously charging with no need to change batteries. I did this for three of my cameras and they work great- doesn’t work for my doorbell because it is always in the shade (but easy to change the battery by having an extra one charged – the App even lets you know when battery is starting to get low!

Another great feature is that the cameras even record sound and you can actually talk to someone through the camera as well as set off an audible alarm to scare them away – it’s hilarious to do to nosy neighbors… 😉
You can purchase these cameras/doorbells from numerous stores locally or online such as Lowes, Best Buy, or Amazon. I recommend getting the latest models so you have all the best features. There is no monthly fee required but for $10 per month or $100 per year you can have your recordings saved online for up to 6 months.  

Feel free to ask me questions about it anytime! Call me at 602.799.7335

My Favorite New Products – YouTubeTV

You probably already have a smart TV and maybe you’ve subscribed to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or any of the others but do you still have cable supplying all your local channels?

Our cable bill was getting out of control (over $300 per month-included internet) so when we recently moved to an area of Cave Creek that isn’t served by a cable company, we had to search out alternatives for all our favorite channels and shows. I opted to go with Youtube TV but you can compare many of the details yourself with this article
These services allow you to get local Valley channels along with some of the most popular “cable” channels. We are now paying $65 per month plus the internet services fees which we pay Verizon just $50 per month for a 4G network box that is working very well so far. They also offer 5G options in some areas.

It does take a little time to get used to it as it is a little different than traditional cable but there are a ton of “On Demand” options as well as the ability to record shows to watch later – in fact, Youtube TV actually makes suggestions. It also gives you the ability to set up as many as 6 family members with their own preferences and place to store their recorded shows. More information can be found here  

Feel free to ask me questions about it anytime! Call me at 602.799.7335