investment property: Mississippi River Boat Trip
- 07/16/07 02:18 PM
Saturday we were invited to go boating on the Mississippi River. A friend has a large wooden-hulled boat and wanted to take a group of us out for the day. The marina he's docked at is north of St Charles at Woodland Harbor. It was pretty easy to find - about a forty minute drive from the city.
What a terrific day. The weather was beautiful and the scenery was fantastic. We've driven the Great River Road on numeerous occasions and I often wondered what it would be like to be out in the river looking towards shore. What great views as … (1 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - July 13, 2007
- 07/13/07 04:42 AM
Friday the 13th....
Following are the market statistics for St Louis City for the past week. These statistics are gathered from the local Multiple Listing Service:
There were 120 New listings on market, with list prices ranging from $34,500 to $1,000,000.
There were 27 Contingent/Option listings, with list prices ranging from $45,000 to $1,300,000.
There were 72 listings that went Pending, with list prices ranging from $10,000 to $474,900.
There were 49 listings that SOLD, with sold prices ranging from $10,000 to $309,000.
72 listings Expired, with list prices ranging from $14,500 to $819,000.
33 listings were Withdrawn from the market, with list prices ranging from $32,800 … (1 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 19, 2007
- 06/19/07 10:30 AM
OK, I have just spent an hour with my elderly seller on Wyoming. She called me all upset this afternoon, and I drove out to her new residence to try to calm her. On my last post, I stated that we took less for the home than she originally wanted to accept. After twenty showings, we had no offers. So we adjusted the price in writing.
Then we got an offer - lower than she had anticipated. We made a counteroffer to the buyers and they accepted. Apparently, her son visited yesterday and told her she shouldn't take less than a certain … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 12, 2007
- 06/12/07 03:07 PM
Just got word that the buyers have accepted our counteroffer on the Wyoming Street property. Hurrah! It's a quick closing, too, in less than a month! I was really worried about this one. It was a nice house, very clean, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, good space and condition. The problem was, everything was dated. We had almost twenty showings and not an offer...
Feedback was not positive. The roof is nearing the end of it's useful life, the kitchen needs to be remodeled, the carpet needs ripped out and the hardwood floors refinished, the entire interior needs painted (the bedroom walls … (1 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 11, 2007
- 06/11/07 02:36 PM
I was reading the latest issue of the Missouri Realtor Magazine. It contained a number of items I feel are important to remember. Regarding customer service: "Once you've spent time and money promoting your company/business, don't let poor customer service undo all your hard work. Remember, happy customers tell ten other people, unhappy ones tell twenty."
Another tip is adapted from John R. Graham's 8 Timely tips: How to Grow Your Business, http://www.grahamcomm.com/. "Use the magic word 'sure' every chance you get. When a customer asks, 'Do you think you can help me with (fill in the blank)?' there's only on answer: 'Sure.' … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis, June 8, 2007
- 06/08/07 07:13 AM
Following is the market report for the past seven days in the city of St Louis. Statistics were gathered from the local multiple listing service:
There were 158 new (active) listings on the market, with list prices ranging from $12,500 to $899,000.
32 listings went contingent/option, with listing prices ranging from $69,900 to $1.799,000.
86 listings went pending, with list prices ranging from $11.500 to $725,000.
There were 73 listings that sold, with sold prices ranging from $15,000 to $1.485,000.
92 listings expired, with list prices ranging from $59,900 to $599,900.
32 listings were withdrawn from the market, with list prices ranging from $18,900 to $599,000.
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Got the … (2 comments)
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investment property: Grant's Farm Visit - June 6, 2007
- 06/07/07 10:24 AM
Yesterday, I visited Grant's Farm with my friend Kim. She owns a licensed day care, and she was taking the children on a field trip. Eight children under the age of 6 - what an adventure! Kim does such a great job with the kids, and they were so well behaved. Strangers even commented on how good they were. We had a great time. The tram ride took us on a tour around the property to see all the animals. Then we walked around to see more animals.
We fed the baby goats. I went with 6 of the kids into the … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 6, 2007
- 06/07/07 07:38 AM
Today, I received the NAR (National Association of Realtors) online newsletter. In it was an article about the slowing housing market. "According to a report released by Standard & Poors/Case -Shiller, declines in home prices in twenty U.S. metropolitan areas continued in the 12 months ending in March as the supply of homes exceeded demand." Although all twenty cities were not listed, Detroit and San Diego were two cities that showed a decrease in home prices. Seattle and Charlotte were two cities that showed increases in home prices.
According to the report, "home values, nationally, dropped 1.4 percent from March 2006, indicating … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 5, 2007
- 06/05/07 01:30 PM
I am working on getting the yard mulched. This weekend, I purchased the red mulch from Home Depot and finished the front yard. The red mulch contrasts so well with the green plants and grass, and I think it just looks better for the front of the house. For the back, I use the free mulch from Carondelet Park. They have piles of it , free for the taking, down by the recycle bins. I started yesterday with the first pickup load. My goal is to get a pickup load a day and distribute it off the truck, rather than just … (1 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - June 4, 2007
- 06/04/07 03:15 PM
Our friend, Dr. Ben Bohren, visited over the weekend. He arrived Thursday and flew out this morning. Ben is a minister with the Christian Church of Northern California-Nevada. The CCNC-N is the presence of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the northern half of the states of California and Nevada. Ben is such a great guy, and we love to share our home with him when he is in town for meetings, etc. He used to live in St louis (I sold him his house and then listed and sold it when he moved to California with his job). During … (0 comments)
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investment property: New Price on Tower Grove South Home
- 06/02/07 07:07 AM
New price on this adorable cottage in Tower Grove South, just 4 blocks south of the park. Seller lived here for many years and lovingly maintained this home. It is clean, clean, clean, and has so much to offer. The main floor consists of the livingroom, diningroom, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, full bath & a great finished 3-season/breakfast room off the kitchen. Large dormers on the second floor (front & back) really add to the upstairs living space. There are five good-sized closets (2 are cedar lined) & two large bedrooms. There's also a half bath off the landing. Tons of natural … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 22, 2007
- 05/22/07 08:29 AM
Got back into town yesterday, and will probably leave town again on Thursday for the Memorial Day weekend. I am finding it very difficult to get motivated to do anything real estate related this week. Not much is going on, and I just can't seem to get focused for a couple of days to just leave town again...
My nephew's high school graduation Friday evening went great. I counted 163 in the graduating class. The ceremony lasted a little over an hour - three speakers and then handed out diplomas. There was an awards ceremony earlier in the week. Spent the night at … (2 comments)
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investment property: Happy Birthday Mom Horman
- 05/17/07 06:22 AM
I just wanted to take a moment to wish Mom Horman a Happy 80th Birthday. I also wanted to pay tribute to this amazing woman. We are celebrating her birthday this Sunday, but her actual birthday is Tuesday, May 22. Her children and grandchildren have been planning the event for months. It's supposed to be a "surprise". If we pull it off, I'll be "surprised."
She has raised seven children, has fourteen living grandchildren, and twenty-one great-grandchildren. She is a two-time cancer surviver, who lives with a colostomy. This spring, after a heart scare, she received a pace-maker. She is doing … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 17, 2007
- 05/17/07 05:41 AM
It's the season for graduations. We have five of them in the family - four from high school and one from nursing school. We are attending only one of the ceremonies, but everyone will get cards and cash. I need to get them in the mail....
I loved the saying in one of the cards. It applies to all of us, not just the graduates:
"Whatever you dream, dream with all your heart - Whatever you try, try with all your heart - and happiness will be yours."
It makes me feel old. I was there when Dustin, my nephew, was born. I changed his … (0 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 15, 2007
- 05/15/07 10:02 AM
Well, I got word today that I didn't get the listing on Alfred. The seller's reason was that my evaluation of the list price for their home was too low. I told them they needed to be around $130,000 or less. They are being relocated, and acted like they wanted a quick sale...
I thought the comparables supported this list price. The home is west of Morganford, which is not as desirable an area as homes east of Morganford (Tower Grove South). Two bedroom homes in our neighborhood - east of Morganford - have sold for $130,000 or less this past year. It … (0 comments)
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investment property: Listing Appointments - A Question...
- 05/12/07 08:59 AM
Normally, I try to break up my listing appointments into two meetings. The first meeting is to just meet the potential clients and build repport, walk through the house, see for myself the condition and ammenities, and take notes. On the second appointment, I present my listing presentation, my marketing plan, and the comparative market analysis of the property. This week, I did it a little differently. I had gotten particulars from the seller over the phone, so I ran comps before the appointment. During the appointment, I met the sellers, walked the house, took notes, and took some pictures for … (19 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 11, 2007
- 05/11/07 02:07 PM
Thank goodness it's Friday. No reason, really, just glad it's the weekend... It rained again today, so no yard work was done. I got the landscaping planted at the first Miami property, but it began raining before I could get started on the property across the street. It poured yesterday afternoon. No winds, but lightning, thunder and buckets of rain. We've been sweeping water out the back door of the basement. I'll finish planting this next week and then begin the mulching. Thank goodness they have piles of free mulch for anyone to take at Carondelet Park. Between the rental properties … (2 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 10, 2007
- 05/10/07 03:43 AM
I facilitated a KWU class last week on "Buyer Mastery - Succeecing in a Buyer's Market." We covered some buyer "myths and truths" that exist in today's market:
Buyer Myth 1: "I can take my time because I have all these choices."
Truth: In any market, the best properties go quickly. Act on these properties, or you are left with the second tier homes. "If the home of your dreams came along today, are you prepared to buy it?"
Buyer Myth 2: "Prices or interest rates may go down."
Truth: No one can predict the market. "You are right, prices may go down, and there … (2 comments)
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investment property: Today in St Louis - May 9, 2007
- 05/09/07 01:29 PM
I have a clipping on the board above my desk. I believe it's from an old Ann Landers column. I try to read it regularly, as it reminds me to be thankful for the many blessings I have received:
"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, … (1 comments)
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investment property: A Cool Virtual Tour Site
- 05/09/07 04:51 AM
Last week I posted that I was checking out different virtual tour sites. I have tried out http://www.realestateshows/ and love it. Normally, the price to join was $125, but Jeff Turner, president of the company, responded and let me know that for members of Activerain the cost was only $99.95. Visit this link to sign up with the discount: http://create.realestateshows.com/newuser/index.php?agencyID=11
I've since created a virtual tour of one of my listings (4108 Wyoming St). It was so easy to do. I first watched the short tutorial videos, and within 15 minutes (I'm slow) I had set up the tour. See it here: http://www.realestateshows.com/161191
One … (0 comments)
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Saturday we were invited to go boating on the Mississippi River. A friend has a large wooden-hulled boat and wanted to take a group of us out for the day. The marina he's docked at is north of St Charles at Woodland Harbor. It was pretty easy to find - about a forty minute drive from the city.
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