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BUSINESS
TheMesaTribune.com | @EVTNow /EVTNow
QC agritainment farm adding a mausoleum
BY MARK MORAN
Staff Writer
Schnepf Farms, a Queen Creek venue known for farm-themes weddings, pumpkin festivals, giant hay mazes, fresh peaches and other family-friendly events might seem like an unusual place to think about actually burying your loved ones.
“We are not known for the cemetery necessarily; we are known for our agritainment,” said owner Mark Schnepf. “Some people thought ‘gosh why are you building a cemetery?’”
“This has been in the works for many years,” Schnepf said, explaining that his father envisioned a cemetery for Queen Creek as far back as the 1970s but “never got it done.”
And as land became more and more valuable in Queen Creek, the younger Schnepf and his wife Carrie realized that no one would ever build a cemetery when land could be sold, subdivided and sold off to the highest bidder, usually home builders.
Being among the largest landowners in the state, Schnepf had the luxury of doing Mark Schnepf spoke last week at the groundbreaking for the new Mausoleum at San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
something for the community and his descendants – and not for the quick buck.
“The thing is that every community needs a really good, beautiful place to place their loved ones that have passed,” Schnepf said. “A place that’s close. A place that’s affordable. A place that is beautiful, and peaceful and safe.
“So, that’s what Carrie and I have created here at this corner of Schnepf Farms.”
Schnepf’s story is personal. Because his father wasn’t able to see his vision come to fruition and get a cemetery constructed in Queen Creek, his parents are buried in Mesa. As a result, Schnepf doesn’t visit their grave sites as often as he would like. So in 2013, Schnepf finally acted on what he thought was a glaring need for the people of Queen Creek.
He created that long dreamt of cemetery, San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms, on 7 acres of land at the southeast corner of the 5,000-acre farm.
“We have just under 1,500 burials already within the cemetery,” said Memorial Gardens director Dillon Benavides. “We’ve been doing burials since 2013.
And there’s room for many more with broad swaths of well-manicured, bright green grass, bookended with park benches, all under a canopy of mature trees.
With that phase of the cemetery complete, and a shifting trend away from in-
seeMAUSOLEUM page 27
Sellers, buyers still face volatility, experts say
BY PAUL MARYNIAK
Tribune Executive Editor
Recent reports from the leading analyst of the Phoenix Metro housing market as well as national experts suggest that homebuyers and sellers face a volatile fall.
Neither Cromford Report nor analysts of national mortgage trends are painting much of a rosy picture for either group.
On the plus side for sellers, the Cromford Report said, the average square foot list price per square foot for homes sold increased over August.
While that increase was only from $285 per square foot to $289, the Cromford Report said, “This is not consistent with the idea that the market is crashing.”
On the other hand, the report said sale prices have dropped below final list prices, prompting it to warn this “confirms that sellers’ negotiation power is far weaker than it has been in many years.”
seeMARKET page 28
This 4,338-square-foot house on N. 24th Street in Mesa recently sold for $1.72 million. The five-bedroom, 3 ½-bath two-story house, built in 1998, has a full basement and recently underwent a $210,000 remod-
ground burial, Schnepf has created a partnership with private individuals as well as Gateway Bank.
They have donated $2 million to break ground on phase two of the cemetery, the Mausoleum at San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms, billed as the first freestanding structure of its kind built in the Southeast Valley.
“Some families may be uncomfortable with in-ground burials. Other families just like the aesthetics,” Benavides said.
“Or, especially with cremation on the rise, a lot of families prefer instead of burying the urn in a burial vault, they prefer to place it in a mausoleum.”
The mausoleum has room for at least 80 crypts for caskets, 1,200 columbarium niches for the placement of cremated remains, family-size urn niches to accommodate up to eight urns in one niche, heated and air-conditioned funeral gathering place and tight security.
Crypts within the mausoleum start at $9,325 and niches begin at $2,360.
It could take at least a generation, Schnepf said, to repay the investors who made both phases of the cemetery possible to begin with. But this isn’t about the finances for Mark Schnepf, at least up front.
This goes back to his father’s dream to have a place for people from here … to stay here, even after death.
“Being able to stay here instead of having to go to Mesa is great,” said Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce President Chris Clark.
“Back in the day when you lost a loved one, you’d have to go to Mesa and have the visitation there the ceremony up there, it’s just so wonderful to be able to stay here in the community.”
Because of the way that Schnepf structured the partnership, this has the added advantage of keeping the land in the family, and out of the hands of developers.
“$2-million is what it’s going to cost to build that building,” Schnepf said.
“And then we will sell the niches and plots over 10 years, 15 years, however long it takes to fill it up and over that period of time we’ll get our loan paid off at the bank and there will be a profit at the end of the 10 or 15 years. We don’t know.”
The mausoleum is scheduled to be complete in about seven months.
“You want to have a sacred place and hallowed final resting place for your family members in their time of need so it’s imperative that we provide a space,” said Dr. Vernet Joseph, pastor at Mountain View Church, who has performed several funerals here.
“You don’t want to keep people going 50 miles out of the town or the community on order to have a place to rest.”
Several grass level headstones surround a tree near the site of the new Mausoleum at San Tan Memorial Gardens at Schnepf Farms. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
The Mausoleum at San Tan Memorial Gardens is at 22425 E. Cloud Road, Queen Creek. Information: 480-987-
2488
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It also noted the four-week trend last month showed square-foot prices for listings under contract had steadily fallen.
The Cromford Report also noted that the trend in successful rates declined to 70.4% in August – “the lowest we have seen for late August since the year 2010.
“Mind you, in 2010 the reading was a dismal 58.1% thanks to all the short sales and pre-foreclosures crowding the market at the time,” it said, but added:
“Any new sellers need to be realistic: 30% of listings fail to sell these days. At the end of March, the percentage was less than 8%. Listing agents now need to focus on marketing instead of worrying about how to handle the deluge of offers in the first few days.”
In its September forecast, the Cromford Report observed, “The market is still suffering the effects of unusually low affordability. Interest rates are much higher than they were at the start of the year and even if prices drop to the level they had in January, homes will still be less affordable due to these higher rates… The small increase in buyer enthusiasm could soon dissipate if interest rates rise again.”
It also saw a decline in the number of “coming soon” listings, prompting it to note, “It is no longer a matter of great excitement that your home is shortly to be listed for sale.”
The Cromford Report also noted that supply “is only rising slowly and even falling in a few areas,” prompting if to remark, “Overall, the picture is less gloomy at the start of September than we expected at the beginning of August.”
But it cautioned that while “demand remains weak,” it also “remains sensitive to interest rate changes” and whatever increase in demand some areas of the Valley has seen in recent weeks “could easily peter out if rates jump higher again.”
Freddie Mac reported on Sept. 1 that the U.S. 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.66% – an 11-basis-point increase over the previous week.
“The market’s renewed perception of a more aggressive monetary-policy stance has driven mortgage rates up to almost double what they were a year ago,” Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac, said in a statement.
“Sellers are recalibrating their pricing due to lower purchase demand, likely resulting in continued price growth deceleration,” he added.
Khater noted that the rate increase was coming at “a particularly vulnerable time
THE MESA TRIBUNE | SEPTEMBER 11, 2022 for the housing market as sellers are recalibrating their pricing due to lower purchase demand, likely resulting in continued price growth deceleration.”
Mortgage News Daily seemed to take issue with Freddie Mac, reporting on the same day, “To be clear, the reality is 6.23%. It is derived from the actual rate sets as opposed to Freddie Mac’s survey responses, most of which were received Monday (Aug. 29).”
Marketwatch said buyers are “spooked by higher rates and economic uncertainty” and that they “continue to pull back, based on mortgage application data.”
“Mortgage applications continued to remain at a 22-year low, held down by significantly reduced refinancing demand and weak home purchase activity,” according to Joel Kan, Mortgage Bankers Association vice president of economic and industry forecasting.
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Neuropathy Is Often Misdiagnosed
Muscle cramping, difficulty walking, burning, tingling, numbness, and pain in the legs or feet are symptoms of neuropathy people live with every day,” explains Dr. Kerry Zang, podiatric medical director of CIC Foot & Ankle. “The thing is PAD has very similar symptoms. So similar that in many cases, people are told it’s neuropathy when it may not be.”
Medicine is often prescribed. “Pills aren’t a cure, they just suppress the symptoms,” says Zang. “If neuropathy isn’t causing the symptoms, the real problem could get worse.”
It’s important to determine if PAD (peripheral artery disease) is causing the pain or making it worse. PAD is plaque in the arteries which causes poor circulation. “Blood brings oxygen and nutrients to your feet which they need to stay healthy,” explains Zang, “When your feet aren’t getting an adequate supply, they start sending signals.” Those signals include pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or cramping.
The good news is PAD is treatable in an office setting. Dr. Joel Rainwater, MD endovascular specialist explains, “We go into the bloodstream to find the blockage using imaging guidance. Then with small tools that can go into the smallest arteries, remove the blockage, and restore blood flow.”
Getting the proper diagnosis is the first step to getting better. “It’s all about finding out what’s causing the problem,” says Zang. “When your feet burn, tingle, or feel numb, it’s your body telling you it needs help, and you should listen.”
If your neuropathy medication is not working, your symptoms may be an indication of another condition.
For golfers, a stiff big toe can make their game suffer.
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Does foot pain prevent you from doing your favorite activity? Do you have burning or tingling in your legs or feet? Do you have leg or foot cramps with activity or at rest?
If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, call our office today to see how our doctors can help.
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Stiff Joints Interfere with Everyday Living
One in 40 people over the age of 50 may find themselves limiting their activity because of a condition called hallux rigidus. It’s a degenerative disease of the big toe joint. As it progresses, the pain in the joint increases and motion decreases.
“People don’t realize the impact their big toe has on their life. It plays a role in balance, shock absorption, and forward movement as you walk,” explains Dr. Daniel Schulman, of CiC Foot & Ankle. “When the joint is stiff, it’s not able to bend and rotate properly, and it changes how we walk without us even realizing it.” These changes can lead to back or knee pain as well as discomfort in other parts of the foot.
“It always concerns me to hear that someone is playing less golf or staying home because they’re in pain,” says Schulman. “There are ways to help.” The goal is to protect your feet from the repetitive stress of everyday activities. “We have several treatment options to not only relieve foot pain but help improve how your feet work. If we can help your feet function better, in many cases the need for surgery can be avoided or at the very least postponed,” says Schulman. “Patients are always happy to learn about ways to alleviate their symptoms.”
