Encanterra Member spotlight Meet Cheryl and Brian!

⭐️ Encanterra Member spotlight ⭐️ Meet Cheryl and Brian! They have patiently been waiting for their new Encanterra home to be completed and the time is finally here! Our team assisted them with selling their Gilbert home just over 18 months ago.
 
Brian is a former police officer and currently works as an aircraft mechanic. Cheryl recently retired from ASU and just started working part time at the Chandler Public Library. Brian is an Arizona native but Cheryl is originally from Florida. Which is one of the reasons why they fell in love with Encanterra. The first time Cheryl drove through the gates of the community, it reminded her of all the lush green landscaping and beautiful water features she had in Florida. She instantly felt like she was home. Brian and Cheryl have four kids, three grandchildren (with one more on the way!) Two dogs and a cat!
When Brian is not working he loves photography. Check out the beautiful photos he captured at Encanterra last night. If you see Brian and Cheryl around the community, stop and say hello to them. They are going to be a wonderful addition to our Encanterra family! ❤️🏡🌵

Meet the neighbors & welcome the Clarke’s!

If it involves sunshine and being outdoors you’ll find Steve and Julie!  They have such a special story and our team recently helped them find a second home in the resort collection.  We are excited to have them join the Encanterra family.  Steve grew up in California and Julie grew up in Washington.  They met while attending college at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA and that is where their love story began.  They are the parents of 3 grown sons, all married and they are blessed with 6 grandchildren ages 0-5!  This June Steve and Julie will celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary!

Family has always been a huge priority for The Clarke’s and while raising their sons they focused of creating life experiences, travel and spending quality time together.  Those same priorities still remain true for them today as they enjoy time with their grown sons and their families.  Since they were living in Washington, trips to the AZ sunshine became a huge priority for their family so they purchased their first condo in Scottsdale many years ago.   As their family grew they upgraded to a house in Gilbert (which their boys now own) and Steve and Julie decided to pursue their dream of owning a place in Encanterra.  They had been introduced to Encanterra by a friend about 5 yrs ago.

Steve recently retired from a 35 year career with The Bellingham School District.  He began his career as a teacher, transitioned to assistant principal, then principal of Bellingham High School for 13 years.  He ended his career as the Assistant Superintendent of The Bellingham School District.  Steve thoroughly enjoyed his career working with teachers, parents and especially kids.  He was always able to find the best in them.  Steve was awarded the WA state Principal of the Year award in 2005 and was one of three national principal of the year finalists in 2006. 

Julie has always had a passion for organizing and she put her gifts to work over 30 years ago.  She taught organizing classes at Bellingham Technical College and in 1998 started her own professional organizing company called Organized at Last in Bellingham, WA.   She has an eye for repurposing, reusing and redesigning spaces to create simple, clutter free and highly functional homes.  Julie has served thousands of clients and taught hundreds of classes throughout her career.  Though she is now retired her passion and love for organizing and helping others do the same continues to grow.  Organization creates freedom!

Steve and Julie will be getting settled into their new Encanterra patio home very soon. They are looking forward to lots of biking, swimming, hiking, volunteering, and hopefully meeting plenty of new friends.  Welcome to Encanterra!!

Meet The Chiaramonte’s – Helping us mask up and giving back to local Veterans

Mask wearing in these challenging times not only is a gesture of kindness and respect for others, but it’s a fashion statement. Our very own Encanterra members, Deb and Bob Chiaramonte have a special story on how they got into the mask making business. Their story seems like more of a coincidence and it’s kept them on their toes the past few months. 
 
Deb grew up in New York and she was around sewing machines at a very young age.  Her father owned a ladies clothing factory in the Garment Center and her mother was a seamstress. Her parents later opened up a sewing machine store in Long Island. Even though Deb grew up around her parents sewing business she never really took an interest in sewing. Her dad even gave her a sewing machine that is now nearly 40 years old.  
 
Deb has worked at Casino Arizona for just over 21 years as a blackjack dealer.  It’s been a fun and rewarding career. But when the virus hit, she decided it was time to take a step back.  She found herself in a new phase of life where she needed to be home with her husband Bob. They have been married for just over 44 years.  Bob has had underlying health issues and they both felt it would be best for her to be at home.  Deb soon decided she needed to stay busy and she wanted to give back to the community.  She knew it was time to get out her 40 year old sewing machine and start making masks.  But very quickly, the old sewing machine broke down. During her first few weeks of making masks, Deb made several trips to a local fabric store. During one of those visits she entered a contest to win a brand new sewing machine. Soon after the old sewing machine broke down, she gets a call and has won the brand new sewing machine!  She cannot believe it and knows that it was meant to be. 
   
Deb found a new love for sewing very quickly. Especially with her brand new machine!  She averages about 70 masks per week and many of her supplies and tread are all donated.  Bob is a huge help with cutting the fabric and ironing the pieces. It’s a team effort between the two of them and they have so much fun together. They also have assistance from their son Bobby and daughter-in-law Rachel. They do the delivering and trimming, so it’s a family affair.   And the best part — 100% of the proceeds go to the Veterans. Bob is a disabled Vietnam Veteran so it only made sense to give back to this organization. They feel so fortunate to be able to give back to the community, help people mask up and assist the veteran community. If you would like to donate any sewing supplies or anything to the Veterans, please contact Deb directly at dzinesbydeb@gmail.com. As an Encanterra Community, we are all in this together.  These times are challenging but remember to help those in need and support your neighbors. 

Meet the Neighbors | Neal and Marsha from Nebraska

As Neal says, “retirement is the best five days to add to every weekend!” This is something that Neal and Marsha live by. They had a very specific vision when they started looking for a place to retire: they each wanted to have an active lifestyle that supported their love for being outdoors. Encanterra checked off all those boxes immediately.

Neal grew up on a dairy farm in Wausau, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin and received his graduate degree from American College. Neal worked for Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in Ft. Wayne Indiana for many years and then retired as Vice President of Sales with the Mutual of Omaha. Marsha grew up in upstate New York near Albany. She loved spending her summers at the Jersey Shore. She graduated from Alfred University and received her MSBA from Indiana University. Marsha made a career at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and recently retired after 44 years with them. They consider themselves late to the retirement game, but they loved their jobs and truly felt they were making a difference in the world.

Early in their careers, Neal and Marsha traveled the world and visited many places. Frequent business trips to Arizona eventually led them to retire here. They visited Encanterra in 2018 and were introduced to the Shea Preferred Team when they were looking at the model homes. Their first impression of the community had them completely fascinated— it was a dream come true and just what they had been looking for in a retirement home.

Neal and Marsha love to be outdoors and are very active. On any given day, Marsha walks for a minimum of 30 minutes. She loves to do water aerobics and play bocce ball, and she is also a member of the culinary club and book club. In their free time, Marsha loves to participate in healthcare events with the American College of Healthcare as well as the Leadership Circle at Phoenix Children’s hospital. Neal loves to cheer on his favorite teams – Green Bay, Nebraska Huskers and the Wisconsin Badgers. Together, they love to play golf, explore all the beautiful sites of Arizona, and simply enjoy each other’s company. This past summer they visited Meteor Crater in Northern Arizona. This year they will be celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary.

The Shea Preferred team is so happy to have helped them fulfill their dream of retirement. Welcome to the good life, Neal and Marsha! We are happy to have you join the Encanterra family!

Sharon– From Arkansas to Encanterra®

Shea Preferred Realty Group recently had the pleasure of assisting Sharon to find the perfect resale home at Encanterra. She is loving every minute of her new adventure in Arizona.

Sharon grew up in Arkansas where she was raised by her grandparents. She fondly remembers the wonderful childhood they gave her. After high school, Sharon attended college in Spokane, Washington, where she started working for a local company planning events and conferences for up to 3,000 people. Sharon is an extremely detailed and organized planner. Her career allowed her to travel frequently so she was able to see many parts of the US, and she loved it so much that she recently retired with them after 47 years.

Family is extremely important to Sharon and she loves spending time with them. She has a son, Christian (43), and a daughter, Megan (40), who has two children. She loves being a grandma and is looking forward to having her family come to Arizona for a visit.

A few years ago, on a whim, she made a trip to Tucson with her son and felt that Arizona would be a great place to retire. She found Encanterra as she was exploring resort-style communities. As soon as she drove past the community gates, she knew this place was special. Now, she feels right at home and blessed to be here.

In her free time, she loves watching NFL games and considers herself a football fanatic— her favorite teams to watch are the Seahawks, Cardinals, Steelers, and Falcons. She loves going to plays, art exhibits and watching black and white movies from the ’40s and ’50s. Sharon also loves to shop and buy Christmas gifts all year long for her family.

Now that Sharon is getting settled in, she is looking forward to learning more about bocce ball and simply taking in all the wonderful amenities that Encanterra offers. Welcome to the good life, Sharon! We are so happy to have you join the Encanterra family. 

Meet the neighbors- Dave & Brooke on Durian

Dave and Brooke have been “Living the Good Life” for many years and we are excited to share their story.  

Shea Preferred Realty Group recently helped them find a beautiful resale home, a Monaco plan on Durian Way. Dave grew up in Bountiful, Utah, a small town just north of Salt Lake City. Brooke grew up in Oregon and Northern California. In 1982 they were both attending college at BYU where a mutual friend introduced them. Sparks immediately flew and they were married in September of 1983. During Dave’s senior year, he started his own advertising agency and Brooke was a huge supporter of his new career. The agency quickly grew to over 100 employees with offices in Salt Lake City and Newport Beach, CA. After putting Dave through college, Brooke was able to stay at home and focus on raising their three young children. They have 2 sons and one daughter, along with their spouses, and 8 grandchildren with #9 on the way in April! 

Dave recently retired at a young age of 50 after selling his advertising agency. They knew exactly what they wanted to do after Dave retired…sell everything and hit the road! They immediately sold their home and purchased a 45 foot motor coach along with a 30 foot enclosed trailer for their car and Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It had always been a dream to see the sites of our beautiful country from the road. Over the next four years they visited 42 states. A few of their favorite places to visit in the US were the Pacific Northwest, the Black Hills, the Texas hill country and upstate Michigan. Dave and Brooke are extremely spontaneous so many mornings they would wake up and decide which direction they wanted to drive. Last June they decided to travel oversees and ride a Harley for three weeks through the Alps. They made stops in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. It was definitely a “bucket list” trip of a lifetime and they made many new friends along the way.  

A few months ago they were visiting their son and his family who recently moved to Gilbert from St. Louis. One afternoon they decided to take a drive out to the Olive Mill for lunch. They happened to drive past the gates of Encanterra and they knew they needed to see what this community offered. They found a perfect Monaco resale plan and it felt like home immediately. They love the sense of community that Encanterra offers and are excited to meet new friends. This September Dave and Brooke will be celebrating their 36-year wedding anniversary and we’re sure they have something fun and spontaneous planned. 

Welcome to the “Good Life” Dave and Brooke! We’re happy that our team could assist in helping your dream become a reality. 

Meet the neighbors-Steve and Vickie on E. Citron Court.

Meet Steve and Vickie on E. Citron Court.    They know the meaning of the “Good Life” at Encanterra.  Steve and Vickie have 3 grown children. Their oldest son and wife moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona in 2012.  In 2013 they had their first grandchild in Arizona. A few years later they were expecting grandchild number t

wo, so they knew they needed to be closer to family.  Steve and Vickie started their new home search and looked at several Trilogy communities in the Phoenix area.  As soon as they visited Encanterra, they knew it was a perfect fit.  They purchased a beautiful Monaco plan but realized after two years in Arizona they needed more space, as their family was still growing.  Their middle son and wife are expecting their third grandchild this March.  Shea Preferred Realty Group assisted them in selling their first home so they could move into a larger home to accommodate their growing family.  They then selected a beautiful Create plan that was move in ready and had everything they wanted in a home. Their new home is just around the corner so they still have the same neighbors that they have come to love. 

 

Steve and Vickie grew up in the small town of Hugoton, Kansas.  Everyone knows each other in this little town and mutual friends introduced them to each other on New Years Eve. They soon married and just this past year they celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. They operate a large ranch in Meade, Kansas and farm in Hugoton, Kansas. They are also involved in the oil and gas industry near Meade.  Their middle son and his wife live at the ranch. They will have their first child in March and he will be the 6th generation to grow up on the Ranch. Their youngest daughter lives in Florida and with Encanterra being so close to Sky Harbor airport it is easy for them to fly down to see her.

 

When Steve and Vickie are not spending time with family they love to hike, bowl, ride bikes, fish and play bocce ball.  They love to travel too.  For their 40th wedding anniversary they enjoyed a two week tour of Europe.  It was a trip of a lifetime.  They also love to get away and spend time at their cabin in Show Low, Arizona.  

 

Shea Preferred Realty Group welcomes Steve and Vickie to their second Encanterra home.  This community is lucky to have you both.  Continue living the Good Life!  

 

Ben Leeson and TJ Kelley

Arizona Experience Realty Group Resale Broker for the SHEA Preferred Program

480-677-8170

Info@ENCBrokers.com

 

36460 N Encanterra Drive Queen Creek, AZ 85140