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Ryan Shaughnessy, Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner (PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com) is referring you to ActiveRain. They will be credited if you signup.


Strange, True or Urban Legend? Trivial Reasons for Relocating to Missouri - 02/28/09 01:38 PM
More than a State Motto - The Show Me State:  The unofficial motto for the State of Missouri is "The Show Me".  The phrase was coined by U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan.  While giving a speech at a naval banquet in Philadelphia, he uttered the line: "I come from a state that raises … (15 comments)

Buy Now - Or How I Missed the Chance of a Lifetime - 3 Compelling Reasons to Buy/Borrow Now Before Loan Products, Terms and Interest Rates Change Again - 02/26/09 01:47 PM
Well, I told you so...
In October, 2008, and again in January, 2009, we urged buyers to BUY NOW.  The recommendation was made based on a number of key economic factors, including:
Historically Low Interest Rates Excess Inventory - Favorable Pricing  Federal First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit ($7,500) Well, I have some good … (11 comments)

The Power of Twitter and Social Networks as a Customer Service Tool - 02/24/09 01:37 PM

 
 
Admittedly, I did not understand or realize the power of the micro blogging site Twitter.  Although other real estate professionals have raved about the contacts, referrals, etc. that they have obtained from Twitter, I simply did not see its use or potential.  However, a recent news story and … (57 comments)

Going Green - State and Local Incentives for Green Repairs and Improvements - 02/24/09 01:22 AM

 
In the current economic times, home owners are increasingly looking for home repair and improvement projects that increase energy efficiency of their homes in the hope that these repairs will reduce their short and long term energy costs.  In addition to the energy cost savings, there are a number … (4 comments)

Going Green - Website for Measuring the Costs, Savings and Return on Income of Green Repairs and Improvements - 02/24/09 12:36 AM

GreenandSave.com's slogan is simple and direct - "Saving Your Money and the Planet One Household at a Time."  If you ever wondered whether a certain "green" repair or improvement was worth it, then this is the website is for you.  It has calculations on the cost and potential savings for … (5 comments)

Going Green - Find Recycling Centers Nationwide - 02/23/09 10:47 PM
If you are new to a city or neighborhood or if you just became aware of the need or benefits of recycling, then you may want to take a look at the website - Earth911.  Earth911 is a clearinghouse for information on recycling.  Here are some of the features of the … (7 comments)

Lofty Aspirations Require Concrete Ideas - Flooring Matters in Today's Market - 02/23/09 01:32 PM
CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS
When customers look at "lofts", they typically expect tall ceilings, oversized industrial windows, exposed brick walls, concrete pillars, exposed or open HVAC and other conduit, and wood plank, concrete or terrazzo floors.  The appeal of lofts is that they do have an edgy, industrial look and feel.  However, the … (2 comments)

Great Rental Opportunity - The Meridian - 1136 Washington Avenue, Unit 204 - Downtown St. Louis (Washington Avenue Loft District), Missouri - 02/22/09 10:18 PM
Property:  The Meridian - 1136 Washington Avenue, Unit 204 (63101) (2 BR/2Ba/1254 sq.ft.) 
12 Month Lease - $1,300 per Month (includes HVAC and 1-Garage Parking Space)


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE MERIDIAN - CONTEMPORARY LOFTS IN THE WASHINGTON AVENUE … (6 comments)

Legal Alerts - Playin in the Rain is Fun... But Sometimes I Like Playing in the Dirt - UMKC's BrokerDirt Offers a Forum for Attorneys and Brokers to Ask Questions and Discuss Legal Issues relating to Real Estate Sales - 02/21/09 06:24 PM
If you are a real estate broker or real estate attorney and you have a strong interest in real estate issues and trends that impact the daily operations of real estate brokerages, then you may want to join the list serv Dirt or BrokerDirt by clicking here.
What is Dirt and … (9 comments)

Website of the Week - Staying Ahead of the Technology Curve with 3 Easy Websites for Tracking New Tech Tools and Gadgets (Plus as a Bonus - List of 30 Great Geek Speak Blogs) - 02/21/09 04:19 AM

Technology plays a very important role in our real estate brokerage.  From the syndication of our listings to lead generation, we use technology to maintain a competitive edge.
Each week, I search the internet to find new tech tools and gadgets.  I read several reviews.  I then select 2 or 3 sites to … (11 comments)

Legal Alert - Lenders Entering Homes Prior to Foreclosure Sale Reported in Washington State - 02/20/09 12:00 AM


Recently, there have been an increase in reports of lenders entering homes pending foreclosure, changing the locks and removing personal property.  
Often, the justification provided by the lenders is that they received a report that the property was vacant and unsecured and that they were simply securing the property … (67 comments)

Sales Training: It's a Jungle Out There - Couldn't We All Use Tarzan as Our Realtor - 02/19/09 11:12 PM
It's a Jungle Out There...
Now, in today's housing market, it is a real jungle out there.  For the average buyer, it is a dark, inhospitable place, where at every turn there is some animal waiting to take a bite out of them.  Worse, there are hustlers and poachers out there pushing … (14 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadgets - Using the Internet to Stay Alert - 02/18/09 02:25 AM

When I first started practicing law, the tools for monitoring your or your client's reputation and business goodwill or for researching the opposition were limited.  Back then, we subscribed to a "clipping" service that scoured hundreds of trade journals, newsletters, newspapers, etc. to find information on people, companies, projects and … (81 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadgets - Tools to Grade and Value Your Website - 02/17/09 01:20 AM
Website Graders
LinkVoodoo offers several SEO measurement tools on its site.  I found the Quality Rank Tool to be helpful.  It measures or otherwise ranks a site using several factors including the following.
Factor 1 - Alexa Ranking:  Compares site against other sites on the internet using traffic statistics, links, etc. Factor 2 - … (18 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadgets - TwitterHawk as a Lead Generation Tool and Guidelines for its Responsible Use - 02/16/09 09:08 PM
Social networking sites and advertising seem to be like oil and water and simply don't mix very well.  However, a relatively new website TwitterHawk may bridge the gap and offer a workable solution for identifying potential leads using Twitter. 
How It Works: 
Using TwitterHawk, you set it to search for … (9 comments)

Legislative Alert from the Missouri Association of Realtors - State Historic Tax Credit Program - 02/16/09 11:35 AM
FROM THE MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS:
The information supplied below is from the e-Alerts published by the Missouri Association of Realtors.  If you are a resident of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, you need to look no further than Downtown, Lafayette Square, Central West End, Soulard, etc. to see the impact … (1 comments)

National Association of Realtors - Use the NAR Library to Download e-Books in Adobe, MP-3 and Other Formats - 02/14/09 09:47 PM
The National Association of Realtor has made it too easy.  I can no longer complain about not having enough training materials.  With NAR's E-Library, you can download e-Books in a variety of formats ranging from Adobe E-Books to MP3 to other audio format in 3 easy steps:
Step 1 - Download … (21 comments)

Restaurant Review (Sort Of) - St. Raymond's Cathedral - A Maronite Catholic Church and Heck of a Lunch Spot on Wednesdays - St. Louis (LaSalle Park), Missouri - 02/14/09 04:35 PM


Wednesdays at St. Raymond's Cathedral
St. Raymond's Cathedral is a Maronite Catholic Church founded in 1898.  The Cedars, the St. Raymond's Parish Center, is located at 931 Lebanon Drive in the LaSalle Park neighborhood of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, South of Downtown and East of the Lafayette … (5 comments)

Tips from Our Mexican Taxicab Drivers on How to Develop a Referral Only Business - 02/14/09 04:48 AM

On occasion, it seems that we are so overloaded with everyday tasks that we sometimes fail to see how simple marketing can be.  The best advertisement for our services is our existing customers.  Good customer service generates more word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business than 100 advertisements.  So, when it comes to marketing, … (71 comments)

Localism - A History of Eden Lofts - From Storefront Publishing House to 40-Residential Lofts - 1895 to 2009 - 02/13/09 10:49 AM

From 1896 to 1979, 1712-1724 Chouteau served as the home to the Eden Publishing House, a publishing house dedicated to the printing of ecclesiastical materials for the Lutheran Synod.  However, this building was not built as a single building.  It evolved over time with four separate building phases.  By looking … (5 comments)

Business Practices - Hijacked Listing Caused by Feed or Feed Reading Error - 02/11/09 09:52 PM
I have never seen or heard of this problem.  However, I was checking Trulia.com to see one of my new listings.  I found that our listing had been hijacked.
Here is the link:  Trulia Listing.  Now, if you look at the listing, there is a brokerage shown in the top right hand … (41 comments)

Legislative Update - Missouri Historic Tax Credits as a Tool for Revitalization is under Attack - 02/11/09 12:19 PM

 
The Missouri General Assembly has several proposals that would reduce the effectiveness of the Missouri Historic Tax Credit Program or, worse, eliminate it in future years.  As a Realtor serving the historic neighborhoods of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, the Missouri Historic Tax Credit has been an extremely … (9 comments)

Listing (St. Louis, Missouri) - The Georgian - 1515 Lafayette Avenue, Unit 114 - CONTEMPORARY LIVING IN A LANDMARK LOCATION - 02/11/09 12:06 AM
Georgian Condominiums - Live Life in this Local Landmark - Short Walk to Lafayette Park and Soulard MarketLocation: Georgian Square/Lafayette SquarePROJECT: Georgian Condominiums ADDRESS: 1515 Lafayette Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63104 TYPE: New Construction - Condominiums - 104 Units AVAILABILITY: 86% SOLD - Immediate Occupancy SIZE: 733 - 1608 sq. ft. … (11 comments)

ActiveRain is a Great Community - Even Better When You Meet in Person - 02/10/09 09:12 PM

Although I had previously visited Blu City Spaces, I had not met Ms. Evelyn Sharp, the sales manager, on the past two visits.  Recently, I visited her property with a customer.  After the showing, I received a courtesy telephone call from her regarding the showing and had a very nice conversation.  Unfortunately, the property … (2 comments)

Listing (St. Louis, Missouri) - The Georgian - 1515 Lafayette Avenue, Unit 105 - CONTEMPORARY LIVING IN A LANDMARK LOCATION - 02/09/09 05:20 PM
Project:  The Georgian Address:  1515 Lafayette Avenue, Unit 105 (63104) Neighorhood:  Lafayette Square/Georgian Square (St. Louis, Missouri) Price:  $199,000.00 ($146.32 per sq. ft.) 2 Bedroom / 2 Bathroom - 1360 sq. ft. Monthly Condo Fee:  $346/per month. REMARKABLE UNIT IN THE GEORGIAN CONDOMINIUMS with STUNNING COLORS & DESIGN AND OUTDOOR … (8 comments)

Localism - How to Locate Free WiFi Access in Lafayette Square and Other Neighborhoods - 02/08/09 08:16 PM

Do you have an hour between real estate showings and need a place to cool your heels and check your e-mail and the Internet between showings?  Don't know where you can find WiFi Internet access?  It is simply a click away.
Here are a few websites that you can use to … (6 comments)

Localism - Construction Update - I-64 Construction Remains on Schedule - 02/08/09 07:34 PM

Whether it is Y2K or road construction, it is good to plan for the worst case scenario.  However, the doomsday scenarios of traffic gridlock associated with the re-construction of I-64 have simply not occurred.  The construction work is on-time and on-budget.  Congratulations MO Dot on a job well done!
To … (0 comments)

New Homes Sales Training - Succeed in Sales by Asking the Right Questions - 02/08/09 05:17 AM
When I see an agent show a series of condominium units that they thought matched the prospect's needs and the prospect loses interest because the agent can't locate the right property for the prospect or the prospect writes a sales contract on a totally different style of property, it prompts me to ask … (31 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadget - Tired of Monkeying Around with E-Mails - Use MailChimp.com to Send E-Blasts of Newsletters to Customers - 02/07/09 08:58 PM

Tired of monkeying around with e-mail templates, try www.MailChimp.com.  This little chimp sure delivers gorilla-like results.  MailChimp.com allows you to generate professional looking newsletters, advertorials and other touch-type marketing materials.  
 
 
Here are a few of its features:
Easy interface is so easy that even a monkey could … (14 comments)

Politics - ActiveRain Boulevard - Why Not? Everyone Else Has One including Barack Obama - 02/06/09 03:57 PM
On Janaury 16, 2009, the Board of Aldermen for the City of St. Louis voted to bestow the honorary title "Barack Obama Boulevard" on Delmar Boulevard and to spend money on new street signs for the six intersections impacted by the name change. 
Now, I can see some rationale for this … (16 comments)

Website of the Week - Use BillShrink.com to Select the Mobile Plan for You - 02/06/09 02:42 PM

For the average real estate professional, their cellular phone is their lifeline.  It also can be one of their more significant reocurring, monthly expenses.  Today, it is important to monitor and reduce expenses where possible.  www.billshrink.com is one such tool that allows you to find the best mobile plan to meet … (10 comments)

Real Estate Research - Use of Journals, Studies and Other Research to Support Pricing Decisions, Marketing Assertions, and Operational Decisions - 02/06/09 01:03 AM
Real estate brokerages and agents often are faced with questions where we lack the hard empirical data necessary to make an informed decision or provide sound advice.  We turn to collective decision making, rely on anecdotal evidence, and use our instincts to make a decision or provide advice.
Here are a few examples of some … (1 comments)

Motivation - Ancient Wisdom - 02/05/09 03:45 PM

Often, the pearls of wisdom offered by ancient philosophers still hold up today.  Here are a few rambling quotations to consider regarding sales and sales management:
Confucious - A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Socrates - Let him who would move the work, first move … (5 comments)

Motivational Post - The Other Mr. Coffee - The Story of Howard Schultz - 02/05/09 02:32 PM
Does the name Howard Schultz ring a bell?  It didn't for me and I bet it didn't for you either - unless you are a coffee officiando, a resident of Seattle or a shareholder in Starbucks.  Yes, when you pay $4.75 for that venti latte with chocolate, soy milk and whip cream, … (0 comments)

A Study and A Survey - Listing Agents versus Buyer's Agents - What Generates More Revenue? - 02/05/09 11:57 AM

Previously, there was the perception that listing agents generated or otherwise produced more income than buyer's agent or agent's maintining a balance between representation of buyers and sellers.  However, the recent changes in the housing market have changed this perception.  So the question for today is:  Is it better for … (62 comments)

Website of the Week - TheCoolHunter.net - 02/04/09 02:23 AM
Are you like me approaching 40 and feeling decidedly un-hip?  Well, there is a great site for keeping in touch with the latest and greatest trends - www.TheCoolHunter.net.
If you are interested in keeping abreast of what is the lastest and greatest trend or just like pretty pictures, then I would … (5 comments)

Localism - Restaurant Review - Niche - Slow Roasted Pig's Head Anyone? - 02/04/09 01:19 AM
Chef Gerard Craft and the staff at Niche in the historic Benton Park neighborhood continue to garner a series of awards such as:
Chef of the Year (Sauce Awards 2008) Favorite Overall Restaurant (Sauce Awards 2008) Best New Chefs (Food & Wine 2008) Best Local Chef (Riverfront Times 2007) Chef Craft's success … (3 comments)

Localism - Mardi Gras 2009 is in Full Swing in St. Louis' Soulard Neighborhood - 02/03/09 02:25 AM



The Mardi Gras season is now in full swing in St. Louis.  If you haven't been to Mardi Gras in St. Louis, you are missing one of the great people watching events of the year.  But, it isn't just about the parade, crowds, and hurricanes.  It is a … (0 comments)

My Reading List - Web Resources for Learning New Sales Skills - 02/03/09 12:38 AM
When it comes to sales training, I subscribe to the belief that you can never stop learning.  Well, it may not actually be learning - it may just be a reminder as to what we already knew.  ActiveRain has been a great resource.  However, I still stray to other sites.  Here … (8 comments)

New Home Sales - Common Mistakes Made by Real Estate Developers and Builders in Marketing and Advertising their Communities - 02/02/09 10:22 PM
At a recent luncheon, I had the opportunity to discuss with a number of on-site builders representatives the perceived weaknesses in their respective company's marketing and advertising campaigns.  Although hindsight is 20/20, the comments did reveal certain common criticisms of how real estate developers plan, implement, and measure the success and … (3 comments)

Sales Training - Google Books, the Virtual Library, and the Search for Self-Improvement - 02/02/09 03:58 AM

The power and ambition of Google never ceases to amaze me.  I had heard about Google Books and its ambitious project to create an online library.  However, I only recently started exploring its content.  You can find a book for almost any topic in any genre.  Here are just a … (15 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadgets - Tools to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Website, Search Engine Optimization Strategy and Content - 02/01/09 11:40 PM
Like any business plan, I find that it is important to track what impact my search engine optimization strategies for my website (http://preasignaturerealty.com) have on how Google views and ranks my website and its individual pages. 
When we first launched our website in November, 2008, I manually entered my website's URL by entering it … (22 comments)

Real Estate Tech Gadgets - Free Incoming and Outgoing Fax Services - 02/01/09 07:31 PM
As a business organization, I believe that it is important to maintain a professional image.  Based on this belief, I do not typically use free e-mail and other free web-based services and prefer branded products that promote the professional image of our company.  At the same time, I am a pragmatist … (9 comments)

 
Ambassador_large

Ryan Shaughnessy, Broker/Attorney - Your Lafayette Square Real Estate Partner

Saint Louis, MO

More about me…

PREA Signature Realty - www.preasignaturerealty.com

Address: 1709 Park Avenue, Saint Louis, MO, 63104

Office Phone: (314) 397-3182

Cell Phone: (314) 971-4381

Email Me

A Blog for New Home & Other Sales Professionals and for Sellers and Buyers Interested in City Living PREA Signature Realty proudly serves the communities of Lafayette Square, Soulard, Benton Park, Benton Park West, Downtown Loft District, Forest Park Southwest, Central West End, Tower Grove East, Tower Grove South, Compton Heights, Shaw, The Hill, Dogtown, Carondelet, Holly Hills, St. Louis Hills, Dutchtown, and the Other Historic Neighborhoods of the City of Saint Louis, Missouri.

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