Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
December 2021
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Catherine Uretsky Publisher & Editor
Christie Giannetto Al Uretsky Associate Editor Publisher & Sales Exec
Published by Estrella Publishing LLC, PO Box 6962, Goodyear AZ 85338. Additional copies and article reproductions can be obtained for a fee by contacting info@EstrellaPublishing.com
Catherine Uretsky, Publisher and Editor 623.594.9283 info@EstrellaPublishing.com Al Uretsky, Publisher and Sales Executive 623.594.9283 info@EstrellaPublishing.com All contents © 2010-present day Estrella Publishing LLC. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or part, without written permission from Estrella Publishing LLC is prohibited. Estrella Publishing accepts freelance contributions, there is no guarantee that materials will be used or returned. Some content is provided by Brandpointe. Estrella Publishing is not responsible for the views of contributing writers and assumes no responsibility for errors appearing within. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the Publisher or Advertisers. Estrella Publishing reserves the right to restrict all advertisement to their proper classification and to edit or reject any copy at its sole discretion. Neither this publication nor Estrella Publishing is an agent of or in any way affiliated with the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association, or any of their respective affiliates. This publication has not been approved by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the associated Developer nor Homeowners Association in any way.
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December 2021
Welcome to your December edition! This is the sixth December editor’s note that I’ve written for The Front Porch Magazine. Every year as I sit down to write the last editor’s note of the year, I’m always amazed at how fast the year flew buy. It seems January was just a heartbeat ago…and even 2016, the year of inception for The Front Porch Magazine, seems like yesterday. December is always a time of reflection. Another year has come, and almost, gone. The new year is just ahead with all its possibilities for hope, change, improvement, and progress. In 2021, I saw friends welcome new babies and I saw friends send their kids off to college. I saw long-time friends and neighbors move on from Marley Park and I also welcomed many new people into the neighborhood. I enjoyed many
ladies’ nights out with long-time friends and met new ones as well. I saw neighbors say goodbye to fur-babies and others welcome puppies, kittens, or even snakes into their families. Our own family experienced lots of change this year, but the friendships made in Marley Park have stayed solid through it all. I’m grateful every day for the neighborhood that has rooted our children’s childhood. I hope 2021 was a good year for you, that most of your change was positive, and that the challenges you faced helped you learn and grow. My wish for you this December, is a month full of sweet memories from seasons past, a joyful present, and a hopeful future. After all, in the words of Alexander Smith, “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” As always, see you on The Front Porch!
· · · · · · · ·
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Christie Giannetto | Assistant Editor | The Front Porch Magazine
623-643-9233
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December 2021
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Winter Holidays We tend to think of winter as a time of rest, hibernation, and quiet. But a look at the calendar reveals many holidays around the world that prove this impression entirely wrong. The cold months are clearly a popular time for parties and celebrations. While some are filled with solemn tradition, others focus on fun and frolic. All pose opportunities for interesting and real-life lessons in geography, culture, history, and religion. Take a look at this list of several popular traditions celebrated during winter holidays around the world and share them with your kids. Enjoy the tour: Hanukkah For eight days each November or December, Jews light a special candle holder called a menorah. They do it to remember an ancient miracle in which one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days in the temple. During Hanukkah, many Jews also eat special potato pancakes called latkes, sing songs, and spin a top called a dreidel to win chocolate coins, nuts, or raisins. Three Kings Day At the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas comes a day called the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. This holiday is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. In Puerto Rico, before children go to sleep on January 5, they leave a box with hay under their beds so the kings will leave good presents. In France, a delicious King cake is baked. Bakers will hide a coin, jewel, or little toy inside. Winter Solstice The Winter Solstice occurs around December 21. It is the shortest day of the year. People all over the world participate in festivals and celebrations. Long ago, people celebrated by lighting bonfires and candles to coax back the sun. 4 Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
St. Lucia Day To honor this third-century saint on December 13, many girls in Sweden dress up as “Lucia brides” in long white gowns with red sashes, and a wreath of burning candles on their heads. They wake up their families by singing songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called “Lucia cats.” St. Nicholas Day A popular December holiday in many European countries, St. Nicholas Day, celebrates St. Nicholas of Myra, the man whose life inspired the tradition of Santa Claus and Father Christmas. He gave all of his money to the needy and was known for his compassion for children and all those in need. The holiday honors the man on the anniversary of his death, December 6, 343 A.D. Many celebrate with parades, feasts, gift giving, and festivals. Kwanzaa Kwanzaa, which means “First Fruits,” is based on ancient African harvest festivals and celebrates ideals such as family life and unity. During this spiritual holiday, celebrated from December 26 to January 1, millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables, and light a candle holder called a kinara. New Year In Ecuador, families dress a straw man in old clothes on December 31. The straw man represents the old year. The family members make a will for the straw man that lists all of their faults. At midnight, they burn the straw man, in hopes that their faults will disappear with him. December 2021
Legal Advice AVOIDING PROBATE WITH A BENEFICIARY DEED
A Beneficiary Deed in essence is a “pay on death designation” for real property. It is very useful if you want to leave your house or other real estate to one or two persons upon our death. A Beneficiary Deed avoids probate without giving up any present ownership interest in the property like joint tenants with right of survivorship does. The Beneficiary Deed is fully revocable. Where there are co-owners, the surviving owner can revoke the Beneficiary Deed. The owner retains control. The owner does not need to consult the beneficiaries or be concerned about the beneficiaries’ creditors (unlike joint tenants).
Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
The Beneficiary Deed is a great tool for people who have all other assets in accounts that have a “pay on death” designation of some type. The Beneficiary Deed is not a good tool if you want to leave your real property to more than two people, to minors or to adults with special Get inreceiving on the ground floor and see needs government assistance. In those your business succeed. instances, a trust should be used. Secure your space in White Tanks View magazine,
Submitted by Montana, Sharon Waddell Hacienda, and covering Sierra Sterling Ravenscroft, Esq., of Grove The Cavanagh Law Firm, PA, Sun City and Phoenix offices. Contact Sharon at (623) 815-7451 or Sravenscroft@ CavanaghLaw.com.
Sharon’s practice focuses on estate planning including Wills, trusts, probate and 623-594-9283 trust administration. For more information www. al@estrellapublishing.com sharonravenscroft.com.
December 2021
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On Our Cover
Our cover photo this month features Isla, Brynn, and Everly Thackrah with, the one and only, Santa Claus. The Thackrah family has made seeing Santa Claus at the Heritage Club, a family tradition since 2015. As you can see from the photo here, little Everly wasn’t too sure about the Big Guy that first year, but she has grown to look forward to the annual visit with her older sisters every year.
As a local REALTOR®, I take pride in being able to refer the best people for anything and everything neighbors might need. Of course, knowing the REAL Santa Claus personally is the crown jewel of my referral resource list. It is such a joy to see those of you who have made the Photos and Cookies with Santa event an annual tradition. Over the years, I’ve watched babies grow into big kids and big kids grow into teenagers. Isn’t it funny how Santa doesn’t ever age? Christmas magic, I guess! Submitted by Christie Giannetto | Marley Park Resident
The 7th annual Photos and Cookies with Santa took place on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. If you missed this year’s event, be sure to keep an eye out for 2022 event information starting in October in The Front Porch group on Facebook (TheFrontPorchGroup.com). The date and time of sign-up is announced well in advance, so everyone has a fair shot of securing a spot before it sells out.
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December 2021
Tis The Season
important as ever this holiday season. For others, this could mean fostering connections by getting together with loved ones.
The holidays are officially in full throttle. Going into this holiday season I know many of us are experiencing an array of different emotions ranging from excitement and joy to stress and fatigue. It is easy to succumb to the holiday stress, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. From all the shopping, cooking, entertaining, events, planning, wrapping, decorating, caring for kids, while caring for yourself and typical needs of your family, it is completely normal to have that mix of emotions. Within the liveliness of the time, we often forget our own needs.
Now that we have had some time to reflect, here are some ideas for coping with the stress of the holidays. Please sift through and see if you can sprinkle any of these tips into your daily holiday routine:
This year, I invite you to create a joyful holiday season and reduce holiday stress with peace and ease. For now, take off that busy badge and give yourself permission to sit in this moment to think about what you need out of the holiday season. Is it joy? Being with family? Comfort? Relaxation? Why is this important to you? What actions can you take that will foster love, joy, and peace this holiday season?
Protecting your peace and mental well-being is a form of self-respect, which is so important this time of year. Give yourself the gift of time and space to take care of yourself too. Take it one day at a time.
Sometimes this means removing items from your calendar and setting boundaries, which is as
Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
1. Let go of perfectionism and comparison 2. Say “Yes” to help 3. Carve out time for self-care 4. Align your actions with your intention for the holiday season 5. Simplify your schedule/Stay organized
Wishing you and your family a wonderful and peaceful holiday season and a Happy New Year. Submitted by Christina Demers, M.S. | Marley Park Resident
December 2021
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Home Sweet Home With forbearance plans coming to an end, many are concerned the housing market will experience a wave of foreclosures like what happened after the housing bubble 15 years ago. As stay-at-home orders were issued early last year, the fear was the pandemic would impact the housing industry in a similar way. Many projected up to 30% of all mortgage holders would enter the forbearance program. As it turns out, only 8.5% actually did, and that number is now down to 2.2%.
As of last month, the total number of mortgages still in forbearance stood at 1,221,000. That’s far fewer than the 9.3 million households that lost their homes just over a decade ago. Additionally, most of the mortgages in forbearance have enough equity to sell their homes. Due to rapidly rising home prices over the last two years, of the 1.22 million homeowners currently in forbearance, 93% have at least 10% equity in their homes. This 10% equity is important because it enables homeowners to sell their homes and pay the related expenses instead of facing the hit on their credit that a foreclosure or short sale would create.
As a Knock Certified Agent, my clients have access to all the benefits of the Knock Home Swap Program.
The remaining 7% might not have the option to sell, but if the entire 7% of those 1.22 million homes went into foreclosure, that would total about 85,400 mortgages. The annual foreclosure numbers for the three years leading up to the pandemic were 314,200 in 2017, 279,040 in 2018, and 277,520 in 2019. The probable number of foreclosures coming out of the forbearance program is nowhere near the number of foreclosures that impacted the housing crash 15 years ago. In fact, it is less than one-third of any of the three years prior to the pandemic. When foreclosures hit the market back in 2008, there was an oversupply of houses for sale. It’s exactly the opposite today. In 2008, there was over a nine-month supply of listings on the market. Today, that number is less than a three-month supply. The data indicates why Ivy Zelman, founder of the major housing market analytical firm Zelman and Associates, was on point when she stated: “The likelihood of us having a foreclosure crisis again is about zero percent.” Submitted by Christie Giannetto | REALTOR® | REAL Broker
Contact me to see if you qualify for the
Knock Home Swap™
CHRISTIE GIANNETTO REALTOR®
602.740.2313 SurpriseMatters.com Christie@AZLifestyleTeam.com
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December 2021
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Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
December 2021
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Announcements Eloise James was born at 12pm on October 28th, 2021, to Marley Park residents, Lindsay and Carl Coffman. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20 inches long. She joins her 3-year-old sister Lily and her 2-year-old sister Scarlet. Welcome to Marley Park, Eloise!
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December 2021
Mia Isabelle was born at 4:58 p.m. on October 15th, 2021, to Marley Park Residents, Bo and Casey Ricketts. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 19.75 inches long. She joins her brother Caden who is five years old. Welcome to Marley Park Mia!
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Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
December 2021
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Yum Yum
Peppermint Bark Mini Cupcakes For a party, family get-together or weekday dessert, enjoy the iconic holiday flavor combo chocolate and peppermint.
2 tablespoons zero calorie sweetener 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch salt 1 Peppermint Bark Quest Bar, chopped 1/2 cup almond milk 1 egg 1 egg white 1 tablespoon melted butter
Frosting
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese 2 tablespoons powdered zero calorie sweetener 1 scoop chocolate milkshake protein powder 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1-2 tablespoons almond milk
Instructions
Ingredients
1/3 cup almond flour 2 tablespoons coconut flour 1 scoop Quest Chocolate Milkshake Protein Powder
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• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare two cupcake tins with 14 mini liners. • In bowl, stir together almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt, then set aside. • In microwave safe bowl, add chopped bar and almond milk and cook on high for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. • Let cool 5 minutes before whisking in eggs and melted butter. • Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until batter forms. • Distribute batter between liners and bake cupcakes 12-14 minutes. Let cool. • For frosting, use handheld mixer to beat ricotta, powdered sweetener, protein and cocoa powder until smooth. • Add almond milk 1 tablespoon at a time for smoother consistency. • Transfer frosting to piping bag and add dollop of frosting onto each cupcake and smooth with knife. • Top with sprinkles if desired. • Makes 14 mini cupcakes.
December 2021
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December 2021
13
Name: ___________
Date: ___________
Winter Word Puzzle Search Word Search WINTER WORDS
Find these words. fireplace snowflake blizzard icicle boots parka sledding gloves
hat ice cold slippery chilly snowman December toboggan
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(The words may be hidden vertically, horizontally or diagonally.)
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December 2021
Samurai Sudoku This samurai sudoku puzzle is a great way to engage the brain and help develop logic skills. There are 5 overlapping grids with one unique solution. Each of 4 corners are shaded. To solve this Samurai puzzle use standard sudoku rules for every#25 9x9 grid: each digit from 1 to 9 Samurai Sudoku Puzzle can only appear once in every row, column and 3x3 box. Good Luck! are ourthe website www.EstrellaPublishing.com This samurai sudoku puzzleSolutions is a great way to on engage brain and help develop logic skills. There are 5 overlapping grids with one unique solution. Each of 4 corners are shaded. To solve this Samurai puzzle use standard sudoku rules for every 9x9 grid. Each digit from 1 to 9 can only appear once in every row, column and 3x3 box.
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7 Samurai sudoku grid, symmetric, beginner No 25 Created: https://www.sudoku-puzzles-online.com
Estrella Publishing - The Front Porch magazine
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December 2021
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SOLD IN MARLEY PARK by Christie Giannetto
You are invited to contact me today for a FREE home value analysis 602.740.2313
More homes sold in Marley Park than any other agent since 2013!* Coming Soon
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
15238 W Bloomfield Rd
15187 W Dahlia Drive
14329 W Voltaire Street
15239 W Bloomfield Rd
15228 W Alexandria Way
List Price ................Call for Info Sq Ft ....................................2,929 Lot Sq Ft.............................6,600 Amenities.......THREE car garage
List Price ................Call for Info Sq Ft....................................2,090 Lot Sq Ft .............................8,542 Amenities .............................Pool .........................THREE car garage
List Price ................Call for Info Sq Ft....................................3,303 Lot Sq Ft.............................6,360 Amenities.......THREE car garage
Sold Price...................$500,000 Sq Ft.....................................1,907 Lot Sq Ft .............................9,789 Amenities ..................... Huge Lot
Sold Price ...................$535,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,090 Lot Sq Ft ...........................10,205 Amenities .............................Pool
Sold for $5k Over List Sold for $10k Over List
Homestead at Marley Park
Sold for $5k Over List Sold for $3k Over List
Buyer & Seller represented by Christie Giannetto
Sold for Full Price
Sold for $35k Over List
Sold for $30k Over List
14884 W Georgia Dr
15451 W Valentine St
14916 W Georgia Dr
12667 N 152nd Dr
12867 N 145th Ave
Sold Price...................$480,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,022 Lot Sq Ft .............................7,898 Amenities............................. Pool
Sold Price....................$710,000 Sq Ft....................................3,468 Lot Sq Ft ...........................10,045 Amenities .............................Pool .........................FOUR car garage
Sold Price ...................$425,000 Sq Ft.....................................1,766 Lot Sq Ft ..............................7,287 Amenities .............................Pool
Sold Price ...................$475,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,104 Lot Sq Ft.............................8,540 Across from Founders Park!
Sold Price...................$630,000 Sq Ft ....................................3,420 Lot Sq Ft .............................9,100 Amenities .... THREE car garage
Sold for $10k Over List
Sold
Sold for $10k Over List
Sold for $50k Over List
Sold for Full Price
12359 N 152nd Dr
14955 W Alexandria Way
15217 W Georgia Dr
14748 W Surrey Dr
15171 W Andora St
Sold Price...................$430,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,010 Lot Sq Ft .............................8,842 Amenities .....THREE car garage
Sold Price ...................$345,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,092 Lot Sq Ft .............................4,483 Amenities ..............Bonus Room
Sold Price...................$460,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,266 Lot Sq Ft .............................8,946 Amenities... Real Hardwood Floors
Sold Price...................$450,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,104 Lot Sq Ft.............................5,400 Amenities .............................Pool
Sold Price....................$415,000 Sq Ft ....................................2,607 Lot Sq Ft ..............................5,176 Amenities........... Total Remodel
Buyer & Seller represented by Christie Giannetto
Buyer & Seller represented by Christie Giannetto
Buyer & Seller represented by Christie Giannetto
Your Marley Park Neighbor and Real Estate Specialist Christie Giannetto | REALTOR® 602.740.2313
CHRISTIE GIANNETTO
Christie@AZLifestyleTeam.com
REALTOR®
SurpriseMatters.com
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Estrella Publishing - TheListing Front Porch * Information obtained from Arizona Regional Multiple Service. Excludes new construction. As of 1/1/21.
magazine
December 2021