Musical Theatre of Anthem: Quality Performance Art in Our Own Back Yard

Have you heard… about our very own Musical Theatre of Anthem? MTA is an unsung treasure, offering performance art training and practice for all ages and enhancing the community. It certainly bears mention… and a lot of appreciation!

Hurry, hurry! The next presentation, and a great family night out, is Disney’s Aladdin, happens this week at Boulder Creek High School Mini Auditorium! Aladdin, Jasmine, and the Genie will take you into a world of magic carpets and just plain magic. Playing October 13–15 at 7:00 p.m., with matinee performances at 3:00 October 15 and 16 (matinee only that day). This presentation is sure to please children—and kids at heart. Check out the rest of the 2011–12 season, at http://www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org/season.html. Musical Theatre of Anthem has many more great plays planned.


MTA’s mission, according to their website www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org, is “to develop youth and adults within the field of performing arts while enhancing their intrinsic creativity and brokering their vast talents. MTA trains and educates youth so they can become the artists, patrons, and leaders of tomorrow while providing opportunities to adults to empower them and foster their creativity.” How lucky are we here in Anthem?

MTA began in 2008 when Jackie and Jeff Hammond decided to bring their considerable strengths in business and theatre together to form a great theatre experience here in Anthem. Jeff Hammond, Managing Director, currently works in the technologies department of a Fortune 500 financial services company. He graduated with honors from San Francisco State University and earned an MBA in Technology Management from the University of Colorado.

Producing Artistic Director Jackie Stewart Hammond brings twenty years of music and theatre teaching experience to MTA. A musician in her own right, she is a graduate of San Jose State University, where she majored in Creative Arts and minored in Musical Theatre. She also studied a wide range of performing arts at the American Musical Theatre Artists' Institute. You can read more about MTA and its founders at http://www.musicaltheatreofanthem.org/about.html.

From its humble beginnings, MTA has rapidly flourished here in Anthem to become a Musical Theatre we can be proud of. Its quality is obvious from its impressive list of awards, including: Two 2010–11 Season AriZoni Awards, and 16 nominations; Nickelodeon's Parents Connect Parents' Picks Award for Best Theatre Group for Kids in Arizona; the 2011 National Youth Arts Awards for Outstanding Production; Outstanding Ensemble – Junior Division; and several other awards for specific actors.

Hats off to our talented, hard-working neighbors, Jeff and Jackie Hammond!

Posted by Doreen Drew

We welcome your comments . . .

Click "like" below to get the latest home listings from Anthem Arizona from Facebook...

How to Minimize Risk in a Short Sale

What is risk management?
In this economy, short sales have become all too common. A short sale is an arrangement between the owner of a home and the lender, that the lender will accept an offer for less than the total amount needed to pay off the loan. The difference between the amount owed and what the bank collects on the short sale is the deficiency. In a short sale transaction, someone – either the seller or the bank – is “shorted” and becomes responsible for the deficiency. The extremely complex short sale process calls for risk management, which boils down to making informed decisions and consulting with realtors specifically designated to handle short sales.

Worst-case scenarios
While a short sale may be viable for some distressed homeowners facing foreclosure, a foreclosure is not a short sale. In a foreclosure, the ownership of the home reverts to the bank because the owner is in default on the loan. The bank repossesses and sells the home, then pursues the homeowner for the deficiency. Such legal action is often unworkable for a homeowner experiencing long-term unemployment or another hardship that caused the foreclosure in the first place. Many people in foreclosure eventually end up filing bankruptcy to resolve the situation, especially if they have overwhelming credit card debt—bankruptcy court caseloads are overflowing nationwide as a result. Whether or not the homeowner declares bankruptcy, their credit is compromised for a good while. People do bounce back from foreclosure and bankruptcy, but it’s worth consulting with an experienced short sale realtor to see if short-selling is an option for you. Where viable, short selling offers relief and, some experts say, a softer impact on a homeowner’s credit.

Making the best of a tough situation
It is in your best interest if you find yourself contemplating foreclosure or short sale, to find a specially trained and designated agent who will manage the considerable risk inherent in the minefield that is the short sale process. You need every advantage, including seeking legal council, to make sure that the lender assumes the deficiency—not you—and that you are protected from risk of short- or long-term legal action. You do not want a call from an attorney for the lender five years down the road!

Short sale experts at Coldwell Banker Daisy Mountain Real Estate
At Coldwell Banker Daisy Mountain in Anthem, AZ, short sale transactions make up about 50% our total listing inventory. Doreen Drew and Amy Wylie are very familiar with this process, having worked with these transactions since 2007, and they close over 90% of their short sale listings--an extremely high success rate. Both Doreen and Amy have earned many short-sale specific designations, including Certified Short Sale Negotiator (CSSN) and Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource Certified (SFR), and most recently…

The cutting-edge rCRMS designation
In an intense, six-day course, agents learn from legal experts, attorneys actively involved in real estate litigation. Instructors share real-life examples and case studies that help paint the most realistic picture of the issues contributing to today’s high-risk environment. Real estate attorneys teaching required rCRMS courses include… AAR General Counsel K. Michelle Lind, Richard Mack, Robert Bass, John Lotardo, and Keith L. Hendricks. Kudos to Coldwell Banker Daisy Mountain agents who have earned this designation along with Doreen Drew and Amy Wylie.

Doreen and Amy stay up to date to give their clients every advantage in this market. Coldwell Banker Daisy Mountain Real Estate serves the North Valley and is located in the Ace Hardware Plaza in Anthem. No question is too big or too small, so call 623-879-3277 or toll free 800-536-7336, or stop by any time!

Posted by Doreen Drew

We welcome your comments . . .

Click "like" below to get the latest home listings from Anthem Arizona from Facebook...

Welcome Autumn in Style at Anthem, AZ Autumnfest!

Well, it's almost that time of the year again… I'm talking about Fall! After so many days over 110 degrees, I'm sure everyone is ready to welcome this beautiful season. I can already feel it in the air. Here in Anthem, we are privileged to have the Anthem Autumnfest to help usher in the best time of the year. This dates of our fourth annual Autumfest this year fall on the weekend of October 22-23 in Anthem Community Park from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with rides lighting up the sky into the night.

I can just smell the popcorn and cotton candy now… that’ll be the eagerly anticipated Frazier Show Carnival making one of its semi-annual Anthem appearances. Brave the rides and ferris wheel or just stroll and greet friends. You’ll find many other activities for the whole family, including a Pumpkin Patch, where you can purchase and decorate your Halloween pumpkin. Start your Christmas shopping early at the Arts and Crafts Fair. Kids will enjoy many activities in the Kids Zone, featuring inflatables, pony rides, barrel rides, and hay rides. Sounds like fun to me!

After all that activity, you may work up quite an appetite. Not to worry! There’s always the Food Court and Rotary Beer Garden—for those who have acquired that taste. And don’t forget to plan ahead for the ever-popular Autumnfest Chili Cook-Off and the Apple Pie Baking Contest, both hosted by Anthem Neighborhood Watch. These are sure to be a lot of fun, and delicious too! If you want to compete in either of these contests, the sign-up deadline is October 12, 5 p.m. All the information you need to sign up, plus the rules, are at www.onlineatanthem.com. It's free, and it’s sure to be great fun, so dig into your recipe box and get started!

Help usher in our beautiful Anthem Autumn. By October, the weather should be perfect. And fall’s a great time to get out to our incredible park and meet your friends and neighbors for a fun-filled day at Anthem Autumnfest… See you there!

Posted by Doreen Drew

We welcome your comments . . .

Click "like" below to get the latest home listings from Anthem Arizona from Facebook...