DiMarco Realtors April 2018

DiMarco Realtors April 2018

107 S. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 1902Wright Place, 2 nd    Floor Carlsbad, CA 92008 888-271-7760 | DIMARCOREALTORS.COM | APR 2018 News From Your Real Estate & Loan Consultants For Life DiMa r c o ’ s 2 C e n t s

To the Pranksters Among Us

Of course, everyone who received the letter was in an uproar. Being the fiery Italian that I am, I called the number, responding to the woman on the other end with rage. “Department of Traffic Violations,” she said.

April Fools’ Day brings out the pranksters amongst our friends, and for no one is that truer than Cristina. Her good friend Kasey — also a Realtor — looks forward to April Fools’ more than Christmas, Easter, and Halloween combined. She lives for the holiday — each year she takes the day off work so she can conduct an elaborate prank. Cristina recalls one particular April Fools’ that left her and Kasey’s other victims at first outraged, and then clutching their bellies in laughter. About 10 years ago, Kasey put together her most extravagant prank yet. Kasey works strategically throughout the year to carry out a prank, and for this one, she went all out. On April 1, all of Kasey’s friends received a similar letter in the mail. It was in a sealed envelope from the City of Whittier, and we opened it to find an official document on City letterhead. I read the letter in disbelief and growing anger. It told me that I’d broken a traffic law several months before, and because I hadn’t paid the resulting ticket, my license was being revoked and I was to show up for a court appearance. It was a very long, official- looking letter, with a list of all the penal codes that I’d broken. At the bottom was a phone number to call.

“What’s going on?” I demanded.“I have a letter telling me I need to appear in court, and I never got a ticket!”

I called in with all my attitude, and the woman on the phone answered as if she were from the courthouse and began going over my “case.” Suddenly, she erupted into huge laughter, and said,“Gotcha!” It was Kasey on the other end and Kasey who’d sent out those letters. She’d strategically planned the entire prank, collaborating with her aunt who worked at the City of Whittier to get the proper-looking letterhead. I still don’t know how Kasey pulled this off, but I do know that she relished every phone call she got that day and the chance to enjoy her favorite holiday.

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Our Annual Homeowner Review, Compl iment ary f or You!

Andy Says...

to high-quality insurance professionals who can provide valuable counsel.)

Tax time is also the time for your annual homeowner review. Just like an annual appointment with an accountant, it’s

Furthermore, if you are looking for a professional referral , including attorneys, tax or insurance professionals, contractors, designers, etc., please let us know.We can put you in touch with the people we trust. As your real estate consultant for life,my goal is not only to assist you with your immediate real estate needs, but also to ensure we’re looking at what’s best for you in the long run. I can conduct the annual review either by phone or at my office. Just contact me to schedule a time to talk.Call 949-391-7511 or email me at darren@ dimarcorealtors.com. We’re on a mission to raise $25,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude provides pioneering research and treatments for kids with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.We will donate $500 for each buyer or seller referral you send us that leads to a successful sale.We’re going to treat everyone you refer like royalty. So, not only will they be thanking you, but your referrals will also help the kids of St. Jude. Lastly,Your Referrals Help the Kids!

important to check the well-being of your largest financial investment: your home. I can update you on what your home is worth, what houses in your area are selling for, and present homebuying opportunities that may make sense for you to consider. I can also update you on whether your current loan is the best one available. Besides checking your interest rate,we can explore restructuring your term (or just adding a little more to your monthly payment) to pay off your mortgage sooner,ways to lower your monthly payment, and whether you have beneficial reasons (and options) to tap into your home equity. • Do you have a living trust to avoid probate? Are your home and other assets properly vested in the trust? • Is your insurance coverage adequate, especially after some market value appreciation? Do you have the most competitive premium rates? (We do not handle insurance, and so we cannot advise you; but we would be happy to refer you Here are some other topics to consider:

Best regards,

–Darren

Millennial Talk With Danielle DiMarco, College Student and ‘2 Cents’ Columnist

Spring break may not have the same meaning for adults over 30 as for those still in school.You may be wondering, “Where is a place to have spring-break fun just for adults?”Well, you’re in luck, because I have compiled a short list of fun things to do right here in California for all your spring break urges!

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Where: Anaheim When: March 2 to April 12 Okay, I know what you’re thinking. You’ve done Disneyland as a kid, and you’ve gone with your own kids; now you’re looking for something different.Well, at this event, you get all the magic of Disney without the long lines and nauseating rides. Plus, doesn’t Disneyland sound so much more fun after a few glasses of wine? CityBeat Festival of Beers Where: San Diego When: April 7

Wine, Waves, and Beyond Where: Pismo Beach When: May 4–6 What’s better than being a little buzzed by the beach? If you’re looking for something more laid-back, this Central Coast wine and surf festival is your go-to event. Listen to some music, eat great food, and take in the San Luis Obispo culture with a glass of wine in your hand and your toes in the sand. I’ll probably be in Mexico for my spring break, and I hope you will be “partying” somewhere too.

If you aren’t the biggest fan of wine, I’ve got you covered. At the CityBeat Beer Fest, you can sample 50 beers from select breweries while enjoying live music. This definitely seems like somewhere my dad would go. Art in the Park Where: Twentynine Palms When: April 6–8 I have to admit, this isn’t an adults-only event. But it’s a good place to go for those of you who have younger children. This festival celebrates nature through art, and it’s held in one of nature’s most beautiful places: Joshua Tree. This is a great place to go if you enjoy art and want to support local artists.

So long for now!

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Give Your 2 Cents It’s quiz time! Here’s your query this month: Sam’s birthday is on April Fools’ Day, which is in the fall. How can that be? Email your answer to [email protected] for your chance to win a $40 Amazon gift card! P.S. Fun fact: Sam isn’t the only one — Darren’s birthday is also April 1!

Google Introduces Self-Driving Bikes to Amsterdam A nd M ore U nbelievable A nnouncements

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

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2 pounds asparagus

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1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

On April 1, 1700, English pranksters had their fun at a fool’s expense. The exact origins of this holiday remain a mystery, but historians link it to 1582, when France switched to the Gregorian calendar, which meant NewYear’s Day moved to Jan. 1. The poor folks who didn’t get the memo and continued to celebrate it on April 1 were made the butt of jokes around town, hence, the fools. The modern-day version of the holiday is an excuse for mischievous minds to pull out all the stops for an elaborate planed months in advance. Others, like the three featured below, use public domains to prank on a grand scale. Genie-us James Monroe Iglehart, who won two Tony awards for his portrayal of the Genie in Broadway’s “Aladdin,” put his acting chops to use in Madame Tussauds wax museum one April when he pretended to be the wax figure of his famous character. When visitors went in for a photo op, they were given quite a spook when the wax statue of the Genie suddenly came to life prank. Some (like Cristina’s friend Kasey, featured on the cover) are

Bike Mania On March 31, 2016, Google debuted its “Self-Driving Bicycle” in a YouTube commercial. Available April 1, the bike would be released in the Netherlands, one of the most bike-friendly countries in the world. Its ability to right itself would help prevent accidents and injuries. If only it were real! Word of the Day Oxford Dictionaries’ blog announced a slew of new words they were adding to their bank on April 1. These include “parrotocracy,” a hypothetical society governed by people selected according to their ability to repeat slogans and soundbites mechanically; Leo’d, a verb meaning to achieve something after years of trying (in reference to Leonardo DiCaprio); and Obamacar, a hypothetical scheme under which Barack Obama would provide free cars for every citizen in America. If you clicked on the word to find the entry, and the website would take you to a term you already knew:‘April Fool.’

•

Kosher salt

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Freshly ground pepper

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2 garlic cloves, minced

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1 cup panko breadcrumbs

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1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

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2 teaspoons lemon zest

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Juice of one lemon (not packaged lemon juice)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 F. Toss asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20–26 minutes, turning asparagus halfway through. 2. When asparagus is nearly done, heat remaining olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs

and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and fold in parsley and lemon zest.

3. Transfer asparagus to serving

platter, drizzle with lemon juice, and top with breadcrumb mixture.

Recipe inspired by Food andWine Magazine

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Darren DiMarco 949-391-7511 Call or Text [email protected] Realtor®, CalBRE# 01071383, NMLS# 361115 Diane DiMarco 949-829-1570 Call or Text [email protected] Realtor®, CalBRE# 01896291 Chris Hertsgaard 949-391-3411 Call or Text [email protected] Realtor®, CalBRE# 01363354 Cristina Iacobelli 760-519-3294 Call or Text [email protected] Realtor®, CalBRE# 01986394

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DiMa r c o ’ s 2 C e n t s

News From Your Real Estate & Loan Consultants For Life

107 S. El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672

Your Real Estate Advisors: Darren, Cristina, Diane, and Chris

* Some conditions apply.

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An April Fool’s Prank

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Andy Says ... Our Annual Homeowner Review

Millennial TalkWith Danielle

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Believe It or Not?

Quiz TIme!

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April Fools’ Pranks From the Pre-Internet Age

3 April Fools’ Pranks

From Earlier, More Trusting Times

trees and prompted hundreds of viewers to call into the station and ask how they might procure their own spaghetti tree. Thomas Edison’s Amazing Food Machine When Edison was in his prime, Americans truly believed he could create anything — even a machine that transformed air, water, and dirt into biscuits, vegetables, meat, and wine, as reported by NewYork Graphic in 1878. The article was reprinted in newspapers across the country. Thousands of people bought the trick.When Buffalo’s Commercial Advertiser ran an editorial on Edison’s genius in the endeavor, the Graphic reprinted it in full, along with the headline,“They Bite!”

April Fools’ Day isn’t what it used to be. Sure, it’s still a fun distraction, with Google announcing “scratch and sniff” digital technology and Amazon declaring new features enabling Alexa to understand your pets. But it’s pretty hard for anyone to genuinely pull your leg in the internet age. Back when you couldn’t debunk a hoax with a simple Snopes search, things were a little more interesting. Here are a few of the most hilarious — yet somehow convincing — April Fools’ pranks in history. Nixon for President, 1992 When NPR’s popular “Talk of the Nation” program announced in 1992 that former President Richard Nixon had announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, listeners were

shocked. Never mind that he’d been the center of the largest presidential scam in history, but his campaign slogan,“I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again,” left something to be desired. NPR even brought political experts on the show to discuss the ramifications of such a move, and listeners flooded the station with outraged calls — until host John Hockenberry revealed that the on-air Nixon was actually comedian Rich Little. Swiss Spaghetti Growers Enjoy Record Harvest Ah, to be as naive as we were during the early days of television. In 1957, a BBC news show called “Panorama” conducted a special report on a massive spaghetti harvest in Ticino, Switzerland, following a remarkably mild winter. The black and white images showed farmers pulling huge strands of noodles off tall

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