January Santa Susana Knolls Monthly Newsletter

facebook.com/thesantasusanaknolls | January 2019

SANTA SUSANA KNOLLS

Community Newsletter

This newsletter is brought to you by
Brooke Grayson, your Neighbor & REALTOR®.

DRE License #02057056

Call/Text: (805) 630-2869 • Email: [email protected]

Parent Volunteers 25th from 1 - 2 pm during their PE time. Some dents ready for the big day. This event can’t
Needed for Junior of the events will consist of Track and Field, happen without parent volunteers! If you are
Olympics Softball Throw, Baskets per minute, Running interested in helping with tryouts or would
Long Jump and Tri-Fitness. In order for this to like to be a coach please email Esther Rojas at
Knolls Elementa- run successfully, parent volunteers are needed [email protected].
ry wants parents to help with timing and measuring!
of their students to KNOLLS ELEMENTARY ASSOCIATION
know that the Jr. Parents are also needed to be on the Jr. Olym- MEETING: The next PTA Association
Olympics will be on Saturday, April 13th, 2019 pic Committee, to volunteer to coach and help meeting is Wednesday night January 30th
this year. The amazing 30-year tradition is with other various tasks that will get the stu- in the MPR at 5:30 PM.
hosted by the Simi Valley PTA Council. It’s
an all-day competition for the 4th-6th graders
where the elementary schools in our district
compete in various events.

To put together a team, 4th, 5th and 6th grad-
ers will be having Jr. Olympics Tryouts over
three days starting on January 23rd, 24th, and

4 Quick Reasons Order up! Geri Wetanson, Owner of Old Old Susana Cafe
NOT to Fear a Susana Cafe, in the restaurant’s kitchen. is Open for Dinner
Housing Crash
Old Susana Cafe, an good friend
There is a lot of uncertainty re- to many long-time Knolls resi-
garding the real estate market dents, wants you to know they are
heading into 2019. That uncer- open until 8:00 PM Mon - Fri, on
tainty has raised concerns that we Saturday until 5 PM and Sunday
may be headed toward another until 3 PM. When your refrigera-
housing crash like the one we ex- tor is bare at 6 PM and the family
perienced a decade ago. is hungry, take them out for din-

Continued on P.8 Continued on P.7

Old Susana Cafe SAVE $4.00 OFF

OldSusanaCafe.com your orders of $25 or more.

1555 Kuehner Drive • Simi Valley • (805) 582-2600 Valid Mon.-Fri. 4PM to 8PM. Dine-In only. Present coupon before
ordering. One coupon per table. Not valid with other offers.
Open 7 Days a Week • 6AM to 8PM

Monthly Neighborhood Newsletter SanKta nSoulslasna

Page | 2

A note from Brooke...

The inspiration behind this community DID YOU KNOW?
newsletter for the Knolls
The name “Santa Susana” traces back to the
Life “out there” can be chaotic, with Facebook and Instagram at our fingertips, the onslaught Roman Empire and the Santa Susanna-church
of emails and phone notifications, the rush of the workday, tending to our familys’ needs, dodg- built in the 4th century, dedicated to Saint Su-
sanna, a Roman Catholic saint that was mar-
ing crazies on the 118 FWY on our way to and tyred and beheaded in Rome in the 3rd cen-
from our homes, and fitting in downtime for tury. The name has since then been applied to
ourselves wherever and whenever we can. For numerous locations, including the transverse
people like us, coming home to our Knolls re- mountain range of Santa Susana in Southern
treats is often the best time of the day. It most California, which the town is named after. The
definitely is the highlight for me and my hus- Santa Susana Knolls of Simi Valley have histor-
band, Jim. ically also been written Susanna with double
N’s.
We bought our “fixer” home on Oak Knolls
Road in August 2018. Jim, a proud Veteran, is Wikipedia contributors. “Santa Susana, California.”
the IT Director for a real estate brokerage and Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free
a weekend warrior for our property, remodel- Encyclopedia, 2 Dec. 2018. Web. 28 Dec. 2018.
ing, painting, building, and making monthly
hauls of leftover yard yuck to the landfill. I’m JIM RAY,
a licensed REALTOR® with Aviara Real Es- BROOKE GRAYSON &
tate (Lic. 02057056, Broker Lic. 01456101),
helping people in the Knolls area, Simi Valley, ILORI,
Conejo Valley and the rest of West LA and Ven- YOUR KNOLLS
tura Counties buy and sell homes. Our young
woman, Ilori, is a budding artist, photogra- NEIGHBORS
pher, musician and my heart’s delight.
As we start our 2019 adventure I’d like to share
I started this newsletter on Christmas Day, T.S. Eliot’s sentiments: “For last year’s words be-
2018, when I decided to create a monthly pa- long to last year’s language, and next year’s words
per for our community with information we await another voice. And to make an end is to make
might find useful, entertaining, and relevant. a beginning.”
I see social media as a useful engagement tool,
but it’s not the same as holding a newsletter in Wishing you a wonderful 2019,
your hands over a cup of coffee!

New to the Knolls,
Not new to Real Estate!
I’ve worked in the local real estate

industry for nearly 13 years!

I am excited to acquaint myself with YOU - the Talk to Brooke, Your Realtor & Neighbor:
beautiful, unique souls of the Knolls. I hope
to feature you in an upcoming edition as an CALL/TEXT EMAIL
our neighbor of the month. As a real estate
professional, my purpose behind this paper is (805) 630-2869 [email protected]
simply to add value to our community and to
give you accurate housing market information FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM
you can use when making important real es-
tate decisions. I am thrilled to be a member of /BrookeGraysonRealtor
the Knolls community and I hope that comes
through in this paper. NEXTDOOR

/profile/28846180

SanKta nSoulslasna

Where is the Housing Market Page | 3
Headed in 2019?

A­ t a national level, interest rates are projected to increase steadily throughout
2019, but buyers will still be able to lock in a rate lower than their parents or
grandparents did when they bought their homes.

Home prices will rise at a rate of 4.8% over the course of All four major reporting agencies believe that home sales
2019 according to CoreLogic. will outpace 2018!

SanKta nSoulslasna

Page | 4

Yoga Tip

Yoga with Rachel Toll

Photo by Andressa Voltolini on Unsplash After the holidays, people often make reso- • Repeat three more
lutions to detox, trim down, slow down and times, building up
Gratitude Draws bring balance into their lives. That’s a tall or- to 10 or more as
Grace Raise Your State with der! One of the reasons resolutions don’t stick your stamina in-
Victoria Allen is that we make big lifestyle changes that we creases.
can’t commit to. The trick to having a resolu-
Of all the Brilliant Powers that ignite our GRATITUDE IS AN tion that you actually keep and benefit from is Sun Salutations are
heart, Gratitude is a super power. It has magi- IN-THE-MOMENT to keep it simple. a staple in any yoga
cal abilities to turn a bad situation into a bless- practice. As you can
ing, your nagging wife into a goddess and an EXPERIENCE Consider bringing this 5-minute yoga se- see, each movement
absent-minded husband into your hero. If you THAT MEETS quence into your morning routine: is linked with either
want to release negativity, judgment and un- an inhale or an ex-
happiness, Gratitude is the fastest path. LIFE WITH Sun Salutations: hale. You can move
ACCEPTANCE • Stand tall with your arms at your sides. Take slowing with your
Gratitude is an in the moment experience that eyes closed so it feels
meets life with acceptance and appreciation. AND a breath in, and as you exhale allow your like a moving med-
As our heart bathes in appreciation, our mind APPRECIATION. shoulders and the facial muscles to soften. itation, or pick up
becomes still and we arrive in the moment the pace and get the
where all feels right with the world. • With your next breath, raise your arms out blood flowing.
to the sides and up. Hold this position for a
Gratitude is a miracle balm that shifts our cen- moment, feeling the length of the spine and You don’t have to be
ter of gravity from head to heart. When you the reach of the arms. flexible, or young or
notice your mind is resistant, or complaining even in great shape.
has become a tired old story, focus on grat- • On your next exhale, circle your arms out You don’t need to be
itude. As you recognize your negative mind to the sides and down, folding from the hips spiritual, chant or
and make the shift to your grateful heart a new and reaching towards your feet. Pause here say “Om”. What you
abundant world opens up inside of you. to feel any restriction in hamstrings or back need, is to move your
muscles. If you can’t touch your toes (most body in a way that
Gratitude does not dissolve our problems; people can’t by the way :), bend your knees feels good. Add a lit-
it shifts us out of the dense energy field that and relax into the shape. tle stretching, a little
arises when we obsess about them. It moves us core strengthening, a
from the surface of our mental chatter into a • With your next inhale, lift your torso half bit of balance work,
tender resonance of humility. It takes our ex- way up. Again, knees can be a little bent if and there you have
perience from one that is a desert of problems necessary, but try to make the back flat and it, a sweet little yoga
to one that is a river of possibilities. the neck long. class. What could be
nicer
Contact Victoria at • On your exhale, fold again.
[email protected] Victoria Allen’s
life has long • Inhale, roll up, circling the arms out to the
or call 805-455-4660 cell. been a mission sides and up.
Website: www.raiseyourstate.com to help people
heal and raise • Exhale, bring your hands together in prayer
their conscious- position at your heart center. Pause and no-
ness. She has tice the sensations you feel in your body.
dedicated over
two decades as NAMASTE: “MY SOUL
a transforma- RECOGNIZES YOUR SOUL.”
tional wisdom
teacher and Rachel Toll, RYT 500 has been teaching yoga
therapist. for 10 years. She offers small group classes in her
home studio in Simi Valley. Contact Rachel for a
list of current classes: [email protected]
Website:racheltollyoga.com

SanKta nSoulslasna

Page | 5

DO YOU Puzzle 1 Puzzle 2
SUDOKU?

Each puzzle consists
of a 9x9 Sudoku grid
containing areas
surrounded by gray or
dotted lines. The object
is to fill all empty squares
so that the numbers 1 to
9 appear exactly once in
each row, column and
3x3 box, and the sum of
the numbers in each area
is equal to the clue in the
area’s top-left corner.

Answers revealed on
Page 7.

Mark Your Calendars Jim’s Gem

Simi Valley Unified School District 2018/2019 The P-38

CA Museum of Art, Thousand Oaks The United States military refers to the P-38 as the
“John Wayne can opener.” It fits in your pocket,
Venture into the mysterious Collection of Rarities created by opens C-rations and is about 1½” in length. A
American contemporary surrealist painter Kevin Sloan. FREE short metal blade acts as a handle, with a hinged
Event. Various dates between Dec. 30 - Feb 13. metal tooth folding out to pierce the lid of a can.
Website: http://cmato.org/kevin-sloan-a-collection-of-rarities Image source: Wikipedia contributors. “P-38
can opener.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 23 Oct. 2018.
Web. 29 Dec. 2018.
Join the California Shakespeare Company Jan. 12th - 27th as they
present one of Shakespeare’s greatest works live on stage. Tickets “As most Military and ex-Military
are $25 Adults, $22 Seniors & Students and $18 Children 12 & would say, the P38 is both your
Under. Tickets: http://www.simi-arts.org best friend and worst enemy. As
an enemy, it allowed you to open
the can of food that has been sit-
ting around for 10+ years and as
a friend, it allowed you to open
the can of food that had been sit-

ting around for 10+ years...”
-Jim Ray

SanKta nSoulslasna

Page | 6

Brooke Grayson, REALTOR® THINKING OF SELLING?

Call/Text: +1-805-630-2869 Call Brooke!
Email: [email protected] (805) 630-2869

Website: www.brookegrayson.com

SANTA SUSANA KNOLLS REAL ESTATE UPDATE

Residential 12 Properties

Real Estate currently For Sale and SOLD as of 10/01/2018. Please contact Brooke Grayson, REALTOR® with any questions. (805) 630-2869

Price / Status / MLS # Status Type City Master Area Subdivision/Tract BD T BA BA BA BA SqFt Lot Lot Yr View DIM CDIM
Change Area
Date BA F 3/4 1/2 1/4 Acres SqFt Blt

FOR $549,800 08/14/ SF Simi Simi Simi Other - OTHR 321 1 1,568 6,000 1982 Y 150 150
6145 BIRCH ST 2018
Valley Valley/ East

SALE1 Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark
CCRS Active /
SR-18197945

FOR2 $619,000 08/17/ MN Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 4 3 2 1 0 0 2,000 0.51 22,388 1992 Y 147 147

6073 Ash ST 2018 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -
SALE Active / 218010455
Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832

FOR $599,000 12/03/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 3312 2,009 0.1 4,299 1947 Y 39 39
6797 LIVE OAK TRL 2018
Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

SALE3 Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832
CCRS Active /
SR-18281238

FOR $599,999 12/12/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 2 2 1 0 1 0 936 0.19 8,198 1950 Y 30 30
6834 Santa Susana 2018
Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

SALE4 Pass RD Moorpark 1000832
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Active / 218015012

FOR5 $449,999 01/03/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 2 1 1 0 0 0 975 0.03 1,500 1925 Y 7 100

6179 Junipero ST 2019 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -
SALE Active / 219000098
Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832

FOR $479,000 01/04/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 2 2 1 1 0 0 729 0.21 9,000 1938 Y 77
1295 Foothill DR 2019
Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

SALE6 Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832
Active / 219000117
New Listing

$499,950 01/04/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 2 2 2 0 0 0 918 0.19 8,250 1958 Y 35 35

PENDING 823 Katherine RD 2019 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

7 Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832

Active Under Contract /

218014866

$585,000 12/27/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 332 1 1,764 0.33 14,531 1980 Y 21 21
5854 OAK KNOLLS 2018
Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -
PENDING RD
Moorpark 1000832
8 Simi Valley, CA 93063
CCRS Active Under
Contract /
SR-18294161

SOLD!9 $394,000 11/01/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 1 1 1 0 0 0 480 0.19 8,100 1947 Y 101 101

5807 Oak Knolls RD 2018 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Moorpark 1000832

Sold / 218008992

SOLD!10 $615,000 12/03/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 4 2 2 0 0 0 1,785 0.27 11,543 1998 Y 59 59

913 Alta Vista RD 2018 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832

Sold / 218011000

$549,950 12/21/ SF Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 322 1,262 0.4 17,562 1984 Y 27 27

SOLD! 865 KATHERINE RD 2018 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -

11 Simi Valley, CA 93063 Moorpark 1000832

CCRS Sold /

SR-18259247

SOLD!12 $640,000 10/24/ MN Simi Simi Simi Santa Susana 3 2 2 0 0 0 1,858 0.39 17,074 1979 Y 94 436

5829 Oak Knolls RD 2018 Valley Valley/ East Knolls-166 -
Simi Valley, CA 93063
Moorpark 1000832

Sold / 218009158

Information is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed. © 2019 MLS and FBS. Prepared by Brooke Grayson on Friday, January 11, 2019 11:32 AM.

© 2019 MLS and FBS. Based on information from the Ventura County Regional Data Share as of 1/11/2019 11:33 AM. Display of MLS data is usually deemed reliable but is NOT guaranteed

accurate by the MLS. Buyers are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all information and should investigate the data themselves or retain appropriate professionals. Information from

sources other than the Listing Agent may have been included in the MLS data. Unless otherwise specified in writing, Broker/Agent has not and will not verify any information obtained from

other sources. The Broker/Agent providing the information contained herein may or may not have been the Listing and/or Selling Agent.

SanKta nSoulslasna

Page | 7

Old Susana Cafe Is Open for Dinner

Continued from Front Page

Enjoying dinner at Old Susana Cafe is a wi- Geri Wetanson, Owner of Old Susana Cafe, Dinners Served After 4:00 P.M.
win: you you get to support a local business said, “Like our breakfast menu, our dinner
and they have the opportunity to help you un- menu also has something for everyone. This
wind with a great meal after a busy day. coming year, I hope to see more people enjoy-
ing our restaurant in the evenings for dinner.”
Meatloaf $12.99
Puzzle 1 Puzzle 2 Served with brown gravy, mashed $12.99
potatoes, veggie medley and garlic $13.99
SUDOKU toast.
PUZZLES, Hot Turkey or Roast Beef
SOLVED: Served open faced with gravy, mashed
potatoes and veggies.
Chicken Parmesan
Served with spaghetti and garlic toast.

Knolls Neighborhood PLANTING BY THE Chicken Marsala $13.99
Pet of the Month: MOON: Served with mushroom sauce, veggies $12.99
“Peaches” and garlic toast. $18.99
JANUARY SEEDLINGS $13.99
Peaches and one of his his latest kills. Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
Good kitty. Moon Dates are the best planting dates based Served with mashed potatoes, veggies
on our local Zone 10 frost dates and moon and garlic toast.
phases.
Steak Dinner
Served with mashed potatoes, veggies
and garlic toast.

Fish and Chips
Served with coleslaw and pickles.

Peaches adopted our family in July 2017 Planting by the moon is considered a tradition- ARE YOU AN ARTIST?
after being hit by a car. We knew him as al gardening strategy. As the moon pulls the ADVOCATE? BUSINESS
the neighborhood stray, but once we in- tides in the oceans, it also pulls upon the sub- OWNER? POET? MASTER
vested in his recovery the day we found tle bodies of water in our gardens’ soil, causing
him at our door in bad shape, he was moisture to rise and encouraging the growth GARDENER? HAVE
officially our family kitty. He loves the of our plants. INFO YOU WANT YOUR
outdoors and you may find him loung- NEIGHBORS TO KNOW?
ing on your patio, looking for a snuggle. Start Seeds Indoors Leeks: Jan 5-18
Feel free to love him and let him go! Cabbage: Jan 18-21 Peppers: Jan 5-18 We’d love to know more about you, our neighbor.
He’ll return for more love! Celery: Jan 5-18 Tomatoes: Jan 18-21 Please email me at [email protected]
- Brooke Grayson, Oak Knolls Rd. Eggplants: Jan 5-18 to submit for a feature in a future edition of this

newsletter.

Start Seeds Outdoors Who’s there?
Radishes: Jan 22-Feb 3
Dishes.
Do you have the one of the best If you look the right way,
pets in the Knolls? Email me at you can see the whole Dishes who?
[email protected] to world is a garden.
feature your furry friend and get -The Secret Garden Dishes a nice place
your Pet of the Month prize! you got here!

SanKta nSoulslasna

4 Quick Reasons Not to Fear a
Housing Crash

Continued from Front Page

Here are four reasons why today’s market is 2. Most homeowners have tre- Over forty-eight percent of home-
very different: mendous equity in their homes. owners have at least 50% equity
Ten years ago, many homeowners in their homes and they are not
1. There are fewer foreclosures now than irrationally converted much, if not extracting their equity at the same
there were in 2006 all, of their equity into cash with rates they did in 2006.
A major challenge in 2006 was the number a cash-out refinance. When fore-
of foreclosures. There will always be foreclo- closures rose and prices fell, they
sures, but they spiked by over 100% prior to found themselves in a negative eq-
the crash. Foreclosures sold at a discount and, uity situation where their homes
were worth less than their mort-
There will always be gage amounts. Many just walked
foreclosures, but they away from their houses which led
spiked by over 100% prior to even more foreclosures enter-
to the crash. ing the market. Today is different.

in many cases, lowered the values of adjacent 3. Lending standards are much
homes. We are ending 2018 with foreclosures tougher.
at historic pre-crash numbers – much fewer One of the causes of the crash ten
foreclosures than we ended 2006 with. years ago was that lending stan-
dards were almost non-existent.
NINJA loans (no income, no job,
and no assets) no longer exist.
ARMs (adjustable rate mortgag-
es) still exist but only as a fraction

of the number from a decade ago. Though mortgage standards have
loosened somewhat during the last few years, we are nowhere near the
standards that helped create the housing crisis ten years ago.

Are you thinking about 4. Affordability is better now than in 2006.
selling your house soon? Though it is difficult to afford a home for many Americans, data shows
that it is more affordable to purchase a home now than it was from 1985
Brooke Grayson, Realtor’s free eGuide will to 2000. And, it requires much less of a percentage of your income today
answer many of your questions and likely than it did in 2006.
bring up a few things you haven’t even thought
about yet. Bottom Line

Get Yours Now at The housing industry is facing a normalizing market heading into 2019.
However, the analyzed data and statistics show that the market is much
bit.ly/mywintersellersguide healthier than it was prior to the crash ten years ago.

Home: Oak Knolls Rd., Santa Susana, CA 93063 This is not intended as a solicitation if your property is
Office: Aviara Real Estate, 2555 Townsgate Rd. #200 currently listed with another broker. License #02057056

Westlake Village, CA 91361
Phone: +1-805-630-2869
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.brookegrayson.com