Eagle Creek by Quantum Marketing Communications

Eagle Creek Life JANUARY 2016

A publication of Quantum Marketing Communications, LLC

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Hello From Kisselback Ford. Happy New Year Everyone. All the best for a wonderful 2016. Do you have an insurance policy scheduled to renew? We have a full service insurance agency located at the dealership. One of our agents will be happy to provide you with a complimentary review of your existing policy and or provide you with up to 8 competitivequotes for you to compare. We represent Travelers, Progressive, Infinity, Foremost and SAFECO to name just few. Please see the middle of this ad for our contact information.

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January 2016

from the

Bill Bokunic Publisher & CEO Quantum Marketing Communications 321-331-6398 Bill@QMCWorld.com

Publisher Happy 2016! We have some very interesting articles this month including a new column written by Norma Jean Ross, Executive Director of Pawsitive Action, a local Non Profit. I'd also like to congratulate Larry Herring, CPA, for becoming a Dave Ramsey preferred professional! It looks like the real estate market is going to be robust-check out “2016 – A look at our Real Estate Market” by Local resident and Broker Jeanine Corcoran. As we enter the new year, I'd also like to offer my appreciation to Dr. Lach. His Orthodontics office recently hosted a “Smiles for Hope” a charity event for the holidays at the Central Florida Children’s Home on Narcoossee. The staff treated the kids to pizza, goodies, mobile video game arcade, and even glow-in-the-dark outdoor golf.

Dr. Lach

You'll notice a few new advertisers including: Dependable Water Treatment, and Harmony Bible Coop. Meanwhile, we are undertaking a redesign and hope to take on a part-time commission-based sales person. If you reside in greater Lake Nona and you are an experienced or emerging columnist then our new Managing Editor, Greg Troxell, would welcome the opportunity to interview you if you'd like to begin a monthly column. Finally, I welcome any families who would like to on the front cover of an upcoming issue to send me an email at bill@QMCWorld.com. Norma Jean Ross

Thank you for supporting us!

Bill Bokunic

Contact Info For Residents

EMERGENCY Emergency ONLY: Utilities Emergency:

911 407-836-2777

GOVERNMENT Orange County:

www.ocfl.net

OC Public Schools:

(407) 858-3200

Sherrif: 407-254-7000 Non-emergency #

UTILITIES OC Utilities

407-836-5515

BrightHouse: Phone/Internet 877-892-3279 OUC Electric:

407-957-7373

Waste:

Large Item Collection 407-836-6601 www.ocfl/GreenClean2016 email: solid.waste@ocfl.net

O.C. Public Works:

407-836-3111

Eagle Creek Life

ON THE COVER

Meet Your Neighbors

Meet Your Neighbors, The Rosado Family Who is on the Cover? Vasanti and her husband Chris Rosado, with their children Kiaora and Arina, When did you move to Eagle Creek? We moved to Florida in 2011 from Vienna area near Washington D.C. to Avalon Park and in 2013 we settled here in the Chatsworth neighborhood. We miss the hustle and bustle of living near Washington D.C., but we do not miss the traffic, which was a contributing factor to our Florida relocation. What we have lost in having a plethora of things to see and do in a concentrated area, we have gained tenfold in forever friendships, amazing neighbors, and of course the many new things opening up around town. Tell our readers about your most recent accomplishments. Chris is a Physical Therapist in east Orlando. We are proud that he recently received his Manual Therapy Certification. I am a project manager/business strategy consultant and work remotely with my team in Washington D.C. I have written articles for Eagle Creek Life under the Nona Mom name for a few months and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve enjoyed seeing my numbers grow on my accompanying site, www. NonaMom.com. I also started a facebook page by the same name to provide realtime information on local events so that more of our neighbors can keep up with what's going on in greater Lake Nona, Coming up in 2016 I'll be adding a new book review area for UsBorne Books, which I quickly

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Eagle Creek Life

2016 - A Look at Our Real Estate Market by Jeanine Corcoran As we move forward into this New Year, each of us will probably have our own expectations of eating healthier, losing weight or getting ahead financially. But what should we anticipate from our real estate market? There is a lot to look forward to in 2016. Home prices expected to rise. Florida’s 2015 real estate rebound “outperformed the nation as a whole,” according to Florida Realtors Chief Economist Dr. John Tuccillo. “Against the backdrop of an expanding state economy with growing employment, home sales should increase by 8-10 percent over 2015 (numbers) and home prices (measured as actual value) should rise by about

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5 percent,” Tuccillo says. The year of the Millennials? Those born between 1980 and 2000, known as Millennials, are expected to start making their real estate purchases. As rents rise, purchasing is now making sense to this group of buyers. This age group will make up approximately two-thirds of the housing transactions over the next five years according to most experts! Historically low mortgage interest rates are holding steady. For the first time in seven years, on December 16th, 2015, the Federal Reserve boosted its key rate 0.25 basis points having an indirect impact on long-term

FOR RENT

7013 Beargrass Rd 7160 Forty Banks Rd 3 Bed / 2.5 Bath 3 Bed / 2 Bath 1668 sq ft 1825 sq ft by Jeanine Corcoran Available Mar 15th

$188,500

$1,350 / month

mortgage rates. Even with that said, mortgage interest rates are still staying near 4%. 2016 will probably be one of the last times home buyers can take advantage of low rates. “We’ve had it for so long that you start to think it’s your American right to have that kind of money, but it’s a ridiculously low-interest rate, even if it were to move up a couple of points.” says, Barbara Corcoran, investor on ABC’s “Shark Tank”. This rate is still historically low; it is still a great time to buy! New home construction continues. A good indication of a healthy real estate market is the amount of new homes being built. Take a look around your neighborhood and you will see the evidence of this. 2016 should continue to be a strong year for the builders with the expected growth in our area.

Limited supply and strong demand makes for a robust rental market. Our rental market continues to be strong with vacancy rates expected to stay below 5% in 2016. This is good news for Landlords or those of us wishing to become a Landlord. There are exciting times ahead for 2016 … with home prices expected to rise by 5% and with historically low interest rates still available, these are promising indicators of a strong market. Match this with our Millennials’ major influence in our market and it looks like we have a solid future just around the corner. If you have been on the fence about what to do, whether it is an investment in a rental property, or finding your perfect home, this is the time to make your move!

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

by Jeanine Corcoran

Available Jan 1st

4829 Stone Acres Cir 3305 Clay Brick Rd 3 Bed / 2 Bath / POOL 3 Bed / 2.5 Bath 2254 sq ft / Short Sale 1826 sq ft

$237,900

$1,350 / month

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$144,900

Jeanine Corcoran - Broker | Owner | The Corcoran Connection 407-953-9118 - office | JeanineCorcoran@gmail.com TheCorcoranConnection.com Serving your Real Estate and Property Management Needs

Eagle Creek Life

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 Key Tax Extenders by Larry J. Herring, CPA At the very end of the tax year, we eagerly await to hear Congress’s final agreement on key tax extender provisions that are going to benefit our clients. Under the tax extender legislation the PATH Act of 2015, H.R. 2029, temporarily retroactively reinstated for 2015 provisions that expired at the end of 2014 but more importantly permanently extended other provisions. The following is a list of some of our favorite key provision changes. Provisions made permanent: 1. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) made directly from IRA to Charity - Taxpayers who are 70 ½ or older can make tax free distributions as pre-tax charitable contribution up to $100,000 directly from their IRA to a charity, which can also be counted as a Required Minimum Distribution.

2. State and Local Sales Tax Deduction – Florida doesn’t have state income tax but this provision benefits taxpayers who itemize their deductions allowing them to take a deduction for the higher of actual sales tax paid or an IRS table amount. 3. American Opportunity Tax Credit increased from $1,800 to $2,500 for the 2009 through 2017 tax years, and the income phase-out threshold increased making the credit available to more Americans. 4. Enhanced Child Tax Credit – For low income taxpayers, the $1,000 child tax credit for each “qualifying child”, subject to income level phase-out, can be refundable. 5. Elementary and secondary school teachers are eligible for an abovethe-line deduction for schoolteacher expenses up to $250 per year, subject to inflation. 6. Section 179 Expensing – Everyone’s favorable expensing limits of $500,000

maximum deduction and the $2 Million phase-out threshold are permanent 2015 and forward.

Provisions extended through 2016: 1. Discharged Mortgage Debt on Short Sales associated with a primary residence mortgage can be discharged without tax consequences. 2. Mortgage Insurance Premiums deductible as Qualified Residence Interest extended till the end of 2016. 3. Above-the-Line Education Deduction for Qualified Tuition and Fees up to $4,000 of tuition and related fees for an eligible student, depending on income levels. 4. 50% Bonus Depreciation the first year on qualified property placed into service by the end of 2017. The provision extended and reduced the first year bonus depreciation by 10% each year after 2017 through the end of 2019.

Other Notable Provisions: 1. Qualified higher education expenses now include computer equipment and related expenses for permitting distributions from a Section 529 plan as tax-free.

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Eagle Creek Life

Bundles of Joy for Years and Years by Norma Jean Ross Executive Director of Pawsitive Action

Christmas time has invited many new puppies into our homes. Little bundles of joy are now bouncing around our houses, chasing our kids, piddling on our carpets and aggravating the old dog in the house. Now that the excitement of a new puppy is over, how do you begin teaching the pup to blend in to our human family? Controlling the pup’s environment is critical. Think of your life with a human toddler without a crib, playpen or all the other “containment” apparatuses we purchase to keep the little ones safe. It would be almost impossible to keep up with the little tike or you would, at best, lose a lot of hair and sleep. It is no different with a puppy. You simply must control his ability to destroy your house, potty on the floor and possibly injure himself in a variety of ways. Crate training is similar to placing a baby in a crib. It’s a safe, nice environment where babies, of both species, play, sleep and eat. I’m not sure why humans have such a hard time placing a pup in a crate, after all, cribs and crates both have bars and humans fully accept placing a human baby in a crib. Puppy owners repeatedly express their concern about puppies not liking their crate because the pup fusses. Human babies often fuss when placed in their cribs and parents frequently allow babies to “cry themselves to sleep” Crates can be positive if you spend a little time getting the pup use to limited confinement. There are plenty of articles available online which teach the correct way to get your puppy accustom his new “crib” Another wonderful tool for puppy training is to teach your pup to wear a well fitted body harness. There are many styles to choose from and I would suggest purchasing one with multiple adjustments. The pup will grow quickly and you will need to enlarge the harness almost weekly. Our puppies wear a harness at all times other than when they are in their crates. We attach a 6 to ten foot leash to the harness and attach the leash to one of our belt loops. Our babies are tethered to us at all times. In this manner we are able to show the pup what “good” behaviors are expected and we are also close enough to redirect the puppy’s poor behaviors. Give it a try and I think you will soon find it is so much easier to prevent accidents and misbehavior than waiting for the little fur ball to disturb the tranquility of your household.

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Your Source for Tax-advantaged Income Kerry L Scott

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Eagle Creek Life

Baby Clothes Storage by Vasanti Rosado

If you plan on having more children, you notice how quickly everything stacks up from toys to clothes. You can’t get rid of them without losing the economies of scale of having more children but it’s difficult to store things in Florida homes without basements or attics. Clothes can quickly become an overwhelming mess of different sizes and mismatched socks and outfits. I used clear storage bags to store clothes in their respective sizes so they could be pulled out at the appropriate time later. The Container Store carries a line of clear storage chests that stack well and hold a large amount of similar sized clothes. I found the medium sized storage bags work best and they stack nicely in the corner of most reach in closets.

I used 6 bags and wrote on index cards to create tags for the following size ranges: Newborn 3 months 3-6 months 6-9 months 12 months 18 - 24 months 2 years While these bags are not suitable for long-term storage, they worked just fine for 3 years until my second daughter was born. As my older daughter grows out of items, I pack them away into one of the containers I’ve already emptied so we stay organized. If we have any extra storage bags left, they pack completely flat until they are needed for something else. I think we’ll eventually store holiday linens or guest room linen sets in them.

I’ve found using items like these storage bags allows me to maximize the storage capacity of my home while also keeping it presentable and orderly.

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Eagle Creek Life

FINANCIAL RESOLUTIONS FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR by Steve Mullins, Investment Adviser, Primerica

You and your finances have a close relationship. Follow these tips to make it a happy new year. Feel good about money. While setting goals is important, it’s also important to review the progress you’ve made. What financial goals have you already reached this year? Have you paid off debt or grown your savings? If that’s a struggle, try repeating simple positive affirmations like, “I’m good with money.” Create a money road map. Where are you going financially? What longterm and short-term

financial goals do you hope to achieve? If you haven’t yet figured out how to spend less, save more and pay down debt, consider asking your Primerica representative for a complimentary, confidential Financial Needs Analysis (FNA). It can help you bring your finances into focus. Resolve to earn more. One way to boost your financial outlook is to earn more money. Do you have a hobby, skill or expertise you could do on a contract or freelance basis? For example, if you play guitar, you could offer guitar

lessons. Or talk to your Primerica representative about starting a part-time business helping families with their finances. Update your insurance. Our life insurance needs change over time. If you recently got married, had a baby (or another baby) chances are you need more life insurance. Financial experts recommend reviewing your life insurance coverage at least every five years. Talk money at home. If you’re financially stressed, don’t keep it bottled up – share what you’re feeling at home. In appropriate ways, invite your children into the

money conversation. Protect your money. Careful estate planning can prevent confusion, chaos and stress for your loved ones. Yet, 6 in 10 Americans do not have a will – and within that group, 70% of those with children under age 18 in their household do not have a will.* With no will, families can be divided in a time of grief. Ask your Primerica representative about the Primerica Legal Protection Program (PLPP), which includes will preparation among its many benefits.

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Making a difference in the lives of local veterans and people with various disabilities by providing Assistance Dogs trained to meet their various needs. Learn more  Refer a Friend Volunteer  Send your Support 5701 Leon Tyson Rd. St. Cloud, FL 34771

407-803-3381  www.PawsitiveAction.org

Steve brings Wall Street to Main Street Most advisers don’t offer to help Main Street Americans because most don’t have a high enough net worth. Steve will offer his services to Americans living paycheck to paycheck; to the most savvy of investors; and every one in between. Steve teaches people how to: • Get out of debt • Save money • Send their children to college • Obtain proper protection • Prepare for retirement • And become financially independent

While: • Reducing their stress level • Improving their quality of life • Helping them enjoy life

He starts with a FREE Financial Needs Analysis, a very basic questionnaire he can complete in 20 minutes. It asks all the right questions to help determine the next steps you need to take on the road to a better financial future. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how motivated are you to accomplish some or all of the things above? If Steve can put together a plan that helps you accomplish some or all of those things, are you ready to get started? Steve takes an educational approach, and he offers sophisticated financial tools to the Middle Market for free.

Kocher Insurance is a locally owned and operated In-

dependent Insurance Agency based in St. Cloud, FL that is qualified and committed to providing our clients with caring and personalized service throughout Florida, from Tampa Bay to Cocoa Beach and South Florida to the Panhandle. We provide Home insurance, Auto insurance, Small Business and Contractor insurance as well as many other types of insurance policies. With our help, you will find a policy that best fits your needs and budget. We represent many of the best known and highly rated insurance companies in the State and are also proud to be one of the few Insurance Agencies in Central Florida to be given Accreditation by the Better Business Bureau and proudly carry an A+ Rating. With years of experience insuring local individuals, families, and businesses, we know how important it is to understand the unique concerns of each customer. Before we suggest a coverage plan we take the time to fully review your needs, concerns, financial circumstances, and budget. Because we are an Independent Agency we are able to offer you policies from multiple insurance carriers which allows us to offer a much wider range of coverage options and far more competitive pricing.

Steve A Mullins Primerica, Investment Adviser 1301 Bedford Dr. Ste. 102 Melbourne, Florida 32940 407-738-7479 steveamullins@primerica.com www.primerica.com/steveamullins

Primerica Named to Top 50

Kocher Insurance, LLC 1312 Illinois Ave. Suite H | Saint Cloud, FL 34769 WWW.KOCHERINSURANCE.COM

Quick Reference Directory ACCOUNTANTS Larry Herring CPA, PA 611 N. Wymore Rd Winter Park, Florida 32789 407-647-7777 www.HerringCPA.com

ELECTRICIAN Hightower Electric, LLC 321-766-6038

AIR CONDITION SERVICES Eric Farnsworth 407-921-0760 elfarnsworth@live.com

FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTING Edward Jones Kerry L. Scott 4725 Old Canoe Creek Rd Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-498-0147

AUTO & TRUCK DEALERS Kisselback Ford 1118 13th Street Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-892-2141 www.KisselbackFord.com

Primerica Steve A Mullins 1301 Bedford Dr., Ste 102 Melbourne, Florida 32940 407-738-7479 steveamullins@primerica.com

BANK Center State Bank Karen M. Giel 4898 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy St. Cloud, Florida 34771 407-891-8396 x3782

GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN Energy Graphics Shannon Danford 407-267-6300 www.Energy-Graphics.com

CARPET CLEANING Best Care Carpet Cleaning 407-891-9635 www.CarpetCleaningFL.com CHURCHES Bethel Life Church www.bethellifechurch.org Harmony Community Church 10am Sundays at Harmony High School 844-444-FBCH www.HarmonyCommunity.church Life Church 10:10am Sundays at Narcoossee Middle School 217-827-7986 www.LifeChurchCFL.com Harmony Bible Coop Home Bible Study Groups www.HarmonyBible.coop DJ SERVICES HPE House Party Entertainment 407-738-3409 www.HPEMusic.com

GYM Anytime Fitness 3380 Canoe Creek Rd. Saint Cloud, Florida 34772 407-891-9111 www.AnytimeFitness.com HAIR Victor Russell Salon 105 East 13th Street Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-892-1005 www.VictorRussell.com HANDYMAN The Good News Handyman Rick Wade 407-468-1352 HEALTH INSURANCE The Florida Health Insurance Exchange 1712 E 192 Saint Cloud, Florida 34771 407-892-5500 HOSPITAL Health First Holmes Regional Health Care 1350 South Hickory Street Melbourne, Florida 32901 321-434-7000

HOUSE CLEANING Neat & Shinny 407-334-5614 www.NeatnShiny.com INSURANCE Farm Bureau Michael Long 407-847-5189 www.FloridaFarmBureau.com Kocher Insurance LLC 1312 Illinois Ave, Suite H Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-957-1918 www.KocherInsurance.com LAWN CARE Triple Palm Lawns 407-957-3489 TriplePalmLawn@aim.com Weed Man 4417 13th St. Suite 182 St. Cloud, Florida 34769 (407) 979-4623 MOVIE THEATERS Cinema World 4345 W. New Haven Ave. Melbourne, Florida 32904 www.CWTheaters.com MUSIC LESSONS Vocal & Piano Lessons Dawn Korzen 407-301-4561 musicinharmony2013@gmail.com ORTHODONTIST Lake Nona Orthodontic Dr. Lach 13832 Narcoossee Rd Suite B101 Orlando, Florida 32827 407-359-1960 Painting and Pressure Washing William “Joe” Murray 407-766-5051 PEST CONTROL Luv-A-Lawn & Pest Control 407- 908-9139 PHOTOGRAPHER Amanda Yachmetz Photography 813-842-6473 AmandaYachmetzPhotography.com

PLUMBING SERVICES Linscott Plumbing Services Wayne E. Linscott Sr. 407-891-1700 POOL TABLES Florida Game Rooms 9350 Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, Florida 32837 407-859-4400 www.MyFloridaGameRooms.com PRINTERS Creative Printing 1115 Pennsylvania Ave. St. Cloud, Florida 34769 407-891-9797 www.CreativePrintingFL.com REAL ESTATE The Corcoran Connection, LLC Jeanine Corcoran 390 North Orange Ave. Ste #2300 Orlando, Florida 32801 407-922-3308 jeaninecorcoran@gmail.com www.TheCorcoranConnection.com RESTAURANTS Stone Bridge Tavern The Royal Crest Room 5530 Michigan Ave Saint Cloud, Florida 34772 407-891-0903 StoneBridgeTavernandGrill.com TIRES National Tire and Auto 304 13th Street Saint Cloud, Florida 34769 407-593-2136 TRAVEL Meisner Cruise and Travel 407-738-7088 linda@meissnertravel.com www.MeissnerTravel.com WATER SYSTEMS Dependable Water Treatment 407-242-7150

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