How to Find a St. Louis Home for Sale on a Cul-De-Sac
May 11

How to Find a St. Louis Home for Sale on a Cul-De-Sac

By Mark Richert
St. Louis Homes for Sale on a Cul-De-Sac We have a new way to find St. Louis homes for sale on a cul-de-sac. I grew up on a cul-de-sac … and loved it.  We could run, skateboard, hang out with friends and play catch in relative peace and tranquility and not have to worry about ... [Continue Reading]
Your St. Louis Home Buying Checklist
May 02

Your St. Louis Home Buying Checklist

By Mark Richert
Using  a St. Louis Home Buying Checklist to Help You Find Your Best Home Zeroing in on your next home can be fun and exciting.  But it can also be tiring and confusing. So before you start looking at properties, write down what you want in your new home.  Start with the size of the ... [Continue Reading]
Can You Find A Great St. Louis Real Estate Agent in a Grocery Store?
Apr 19

Can You Find A Great St. Louis Real Estate Agent in a Grocery Store?

By Mark Richert
Finding a 5 Star St. Louis Real Estate Agent Clean up in aisle 4 please.  Attention shoppers Free food samples today in aisle 3! Real Estate Agents in aisle 10? Next time you are in the grocery store you might find something you’re not even looking for… a recognized, proven, real estate agent. No, you ... [Continue Reading]
Spring Cleaning Gadgets for St. Louis Home Owners
Apr 10

Spring Cleaning Gadgets for St. Louis Home Owners

By Mark Richert
Time-Saving Spring Cleaning Gadgets to Help Home Owners From itchy eyes to gobs of grass and weeds Spring Time has arrived in St. Louis. How about some new technology to help you with the chores? Nest-The Learning Thermostat Most of us never think about our thermostats. Did you know that your thermostat controls 1/2 of ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 27

Remodeling Cost Vs Value Report for St. Louis 2011-2012

By Mark Richert
Remodeling – Cost Vs the Value Report for the St.Louis Area If you want to know the cost of remodeling in St. Louis vs the value for resale read on. Remodeling Magazine just published their annual report with information that’s valuable to both Sellers and Buyers.  What remodeling projects return the biggest percentage for resale?  ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 19

St. Louis Subdivisions with a Swimming Pool

By Mark Richert
St. Louis Neighborhoods with a Pool Looking for a St. Louis Home for sale in a subdivision with a pool? View real-time search results for St. Louis Homes for sale in neighborhoods and subdivisions with access to a pool. If you are not sure about handling the cost (anywhere from $500-$1000 annually) and upkeep of a pool then ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 28

5 Tips for A Sucessful St. Louis Home Purchase

By Mark Richert
5 Things You Should Do to Prepare for St. Louis Home Buying It’s almost spring and the peak home buying season is almost upon us. What you can do to be prepared: Get Your Financing In OrderWhen Buying a St. Louis Home Know what you can afford and what you are comfortable with for your mortgage ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 21

St. Louis Singles-How Buying a House Can Improve Your Dating Life

By Mark Richert
Is Home Ownership an Aphrodesiac in the St. Louis Dating Scene? If you’re single and didn’t have a date on Valentines day, you might need to come up with a new game plan. Here’s an interesting idea: Buy a house! 1000 singles were recently surveyed by Harris Interactive regarding their preferences in the dating selection process. ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 15

St. Louis Homes for Sale With 4 Car Garage

By Mark Richert
Where to Find Homes with 4 Car Garages or More in St. Louis Direct links to St. Louis Homes for Sale with 4 car garages or more … to good to be true?(Links are at the bottom of this page)  Did you know that According to the Department of Energy, a quarter of Americans with two-car ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 26

HUD Releases Booklet Mentioning Exclusive Buyer Agents

By Mark Richert
HUD  added a revision to its latest version of “Shopping for Your Home Loan – HUD’s Settlement Cost Booklet.”  On page 6, it discusses the role of a real estate broker or agent and now includes a bolded reference to exclusive buyer’s agents.  Here’s what it says: IV. Shopping for a House Role of the Real Estate Agent or ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 16

Rockwood School District Schools Ranked Amongst the Highest in Missouri and the Nation

By Mark Richert
Lafayette and Rockwood High Schools Ranked “Silver” by U.S. News and World Report Good news for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis County. For the third  consecutive year U.S. News and World Report has come out with its annual report on the top schools in the nation and Rockwood schools are looking great. Even ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 12

3 Reasons You Need a Property History Report

By Mark Richert
Why You Need a Property History Report The other day we got a call from a first time homebuyer interested in a home that just came on the market.  As Exclusive Buyer Agents who only work for buyers, we began our investigation. Was that home really “just on the market”, or perhaps something else … ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 17

The Smartest Way to Buy a Home

By Mark Richert
The Smartest Way to Buy a Home On Lifetime this morning they ran a segment about not just buying a home … but the “Smartest Way to Buy a Home.” “Buying a home is usually the biggest financial purchase a person will make, and you want an agent that is truly working for YOU. But, ... [Continue Reading]
Jul 09

Parkway West High School|St. Louis|Rated Top School by Newsweek Magazine

By Mark Richert
Parkway West High School Among the Nation’s Best Congratulations to Parkway West High School in St. Louis for being selected by Newsweek Magazine’s annual ranking of High Schools. There were only 13 high schools in Missouri selected for the list. Less than 6% of the country’s public high schools qualify for this prestigious group. Find ... [Continue Reading]
Jul 17

New Laws from Fannie Mae Could Delay or Deny Closings for St. Louis Home Buyers

By Mark Richert
New Rule from Fannie Mae Could End Up Ruining or Delaying Closing on Your Future Home If you’re not very careful, a new rule just enacted June 1st by Fannie Mae, could put an end to your dreams of owning a home. Fannie Mae has implemented what’s called “The Loan Quality Initiative (LQI). (Don’t you ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 13

Use Your Phone to Find Your St. Louis Home

By Mark Richert
Has a house gone up for sale in your neighborhood recently?  Wondering what the price is but you don’t want to appear nosey? Curious about what it looks like on the inside  but you don’t want to disturb the owners? Or maybe you don’t want anyone to know you’re even looking! How about when you’re ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 20

Don’t be Fooled by Staged Homes in the St. Louis Real Estate Market

By Mark Richert
Beware of “Staged” St. Louis Homes for Sale The “staging” of a home for sale is a growing trend that sellers are turning to in this soft St. Louis real estate market.  Staging a home is a big business and has shown to help a home sell faster than a home that is not staged. ... [Continue Reading]
Sep 28

St. Louis Crime Map-Where and When

By Mark Richert
St. Louis Crime Mapping and Statistics-Location and Types of Crime (Please click the lower right hand corner of the video for full screen viewing) The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has been upgrading their web site and have made real improvements with their crime mapping feature. In St. Louis Real Estate the keyword is: Location, ... [Continue Reading]
Dec 12

St. Louis Home Buyers:St. Louis County Crime Map

By Mark Richert
St. Louis County Police Department Crime Incident Map The city of St. Louis was recently in the news due to a national study calling it the most dangerous U.S. city.  This annual report usually causes a stir and city officials are quick to point out that crime has continued to go down each year since ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 22

St. Louis LifeStyle Search – Finding the Best Location for Your New Home

By Mark Richert
Using Lifestyle Preferences In Your St. Louis Home Search Every so often innovation bursts upon the scene and changes the way we do things. Lifestyle Searching is about to do that for St. Louis home buyers. For the last couple of months we have had the privilege of testing this intuitive real estate search engine ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 22

St. Louis Homes for Sale by School District

By Mark Richert
New Way to Discover St. Louis Homes for Sale by School District You can now reduce your search time by getting an overview of school districts with maps, district lines and current homes for sale all on one page. Property values often reflect the reputation of local schools-both public and private-and a home near good ... [Continue Reading]
Apr 05

Locating the Right St. Louis School for Your Child

By Mark Richert
Tips for Home Buyers-Finding the Right Schools in St. Louis How do you find the right school for your child? When it comes time to buy a home, your decision will probably be based on dozens of criteria. If you are like many of the home buyers that we have assisted over the years, good schools will ... [Continue Reading]
Apr 15

New Home Construction in St. Louis:My Mid-Course Career Change

By Mark Richert
How a Former New Construction Sales Manager Became a 100% Buyer’s  Advocate (This post was written by Loretta Buck)  I think it’s pretty safe to say that all of us step back and evaluate our jobs/careers occasionally and ask ourselves what are we doing and why? As a sales manager in new construction I had ... [Continue Reading]
May 03

St. Louis Real Estate Markets that May Have Hit Bottom

By Mark Richert
Which parts of the St. Louis Real Estate Market Have Hit a Low Price Point? Two questions we are always asked:  1. “How’s the Market?” 2. “Have We Reached the Bottom?”  No easy answer for those questions these days.  Neighborhoods and towns are sort of like Mutual funds … some outperform others! You need to look at the ... [Continue Reading]
May 10

St. Louis Real Estate:Time to Buy or Rent?

By Mark Richert
Should You Buy or Rent in this St. Louis Real Estate Market? With interest rates at historical lows, plenty of homes to choose from, and home prices at new lows, is this the time to stop renting and buy?  Answer: Yes and No. The video and discussion below is informative and balanced.   What works best for you ... [Continue Reading]
May 31

House-Hunting in St. Louis? Don’t Fall for These Tricks

By Mark Richert
Tricks Realtors Use to Get You to Visit Their Listings Getting ready for work this morning we overheard this playing on the Today Show. Having worked exclusively with many home buyers throughout the years and literally seeing hundreds of homes with them, we could relate. Sorry for the commercial you have to sit through first ... [Continue Reading]
Jun 02

Chesterfield Amphitheater Concert Series|Upcoming Events

By Mark Richert
Upcoming Events at the New Chesterfield Amphitheater in Central Park Click Here for Updated 2012 Schedule of Events for the Chesterfield Amphitheater Last week we wrote about the grand opening of the new Chesterfield Amphitheater located in Central Park near the Chesterfield Mall.  Alexis and I decided to check it out and attended the opening ... [Continue Reading]
Jun 21

St Louis Homes for Sale with a Pool

By Mark Richert
St Louis Homes for Sale with a Swimming Pool As temperatures rise, St. Louis home buyers wonder if their next home should have a pool. Here’s a quick and easy way to view St. Louis homes for sale with an inground pool. Have fun looking … and don’t forget your sun screen! St. Louis County Homes for Sale ... [Continue Reading]
Jun 23

Clayton High School Makes Newsweek’s Best High Schools in America List

By Mark Richert
Clayton High School Ranked Highest Missouri High School in Newsweek’s Annual List of Best High Schools Congratulations to Clayton High School for ranking #89 out of 500 high schools named as the best in the country according to Newsweek’s annual list which was published today. The other local high schools that also made the list were: St. Louis ... [Continue Reading]
Jul 20

Fannie Mae National Housing Survey-Attitudes Towards Owning a Home, Renting, and Personal Finances

By Mark Richert
Monthly Survey Reports Opinions on Home Ownership, Renting, and Household Finances Fannie Mae has a new monthly consumer attitude report offering a peek into the sentiments of Americans across the country. What are people feeling about owning a home, whether it’s a good time to buy or sell, and people’s outlook on home prices and ... [Continue Reading]
How the Flying Car Could Impact St. Louis Real Estate
Jul 27

How the Flying Car Could Impact St. Louis Real Estate

By Mark Richert
How The Soon-to-Be Released Flying Car Could Affect St. Louis Real Estate The first Flying Cars could be seen in the St. Louis area within the next two years.  This is not a joke or an illusion brought on by the current heat wave!  Last week, Terrafugia, the company developing this hybrid of car/plane, cleared their ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 09

Savvy St. Louis Home Buyers Learn the Value of a Survey

By Mark Richert
Why You Should Order a Survey I love you neighbor … but is your fence on my property?  When buying real estate what you see is not always what you are buying.  Recently, one of our home buyers asked us “Should We Order a Survey?”  We discussed why it is wise to have a survey,the ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 22

Are St Louisans Addicted to Their Mobile Phone?

By Mark Richert
Fellow St. Louisans: What Would You Be Willing to Give Up for Your Mobile Phone? Here’s some interesting results from a recent survey about smartphones … and a challenge!  The next time you are out with your friends having dinner, try tracking how long you can go without checking your email, Facebook, or Twitter account.  ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 24

Chesterfield Dog Park Opens to Local Residents

By Mark Richert
Chesterfield Eberwein Dog Park Opening Schedule Chesterfield will introduce it’s newest park, the Eberwein Dog Park located at 1627 Old Baxter Road, right behind Dierbergs,  on September 1st & 2nd. Last year the city purchased the 18.5 acre setting which will feature a fenced-in, key-pad locked dog run.  There is a separate area for small ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 29

Money Magazine Picks Lake St. Louis as One of Top 50 Best Places to Live

By Mark Richert
Lake St. Louis Ranks #41 in Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live List Money Magazine ranks the top 100 Places to Live each year.  They focus on qualities American families value most: Highly rated schools, safe streets, economic strength, lots of activities, and job opportunities.  Three other communities made the list (see who they were on ... [Continue Reading]
Aug 31

Ballwin Makes Money Magazine’s Top Places to Live List for 2011

By Mark Richert
Ballwin Missouri Ranks #80 in Money’s Top 100 Places to Live 2011 Edition Ballwin once again places in the “100 Top Places to Live” list that was just published by Money Magazine.  Ballwin won this prestigious title back in 2005 and the community continues to deliver the qualities of life that most of us desire ... [Continue Reading]
Sep 06

Rockwood School District Provides Mobile App for Parents

By Mark Richert
Rockwood School District Introduces Mobile App to Help Parents Keep Up With Kids and School Activities Who would have ever thought that parents would need a mobile app for their phone just to keep up with their kids’ and school activities?  Life just isn’t as simple as it used to be!  Juggling schedules, finding out what’s ... [Continue Reading]
Sep 12

Military First-Time Home Buyer Grants Now Available for Vets and Active Personnel

By Mark Richert
First-Time Home Buyer Grants Up to $5000 for Down Payment for  Active and Veteran Military Members Do you know someone who has served their country in our military?  There is a new grant being offered for up to $5000 which can be applied to a mortgage at any financial institutions made possible through the Dream Makers ... [Continue Reading]
Sep 23

St. Louis Home Buyers: Are You Using the Buddy System?

By Mark Richert
The Buddy System for St. Louis Home Buyers If you’re one of the millions of people who have seen Toy Story you may remember the theme song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”  Buzz and Woody were always looking out for each other and had each others backs throughout their adventures. They used the buddy ... [Continue Reading]
Sep 26

Parkway School District Earns Perfect Score from Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

By Mark Richert
Parkway School District Gets a Perfect Score On Its Annual Performance Report The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education scores school districts on a performance standard each year.  The report is based upon several measures of achievement such as ACT exam scores, MAP scores and the percentage of students who graduate and continue on ... [Continue Reading]
Oct 04

How Ballwin Real Estate Prices Have Changed in 2011

By Mark Richert
How Ballwin Real Estate is Performing in 2011 Here’s a fun, interactive chart for all of you data hounds and geeks (like us). You simply point your mouse along the data lines to see how the median price, inventory and days on the market fluctuate throughout the year. Are you interested in the market activity ... [Continue Reading]
Oct 15

Celebrity Rally Squirrel Moves to Ballwin Missouri

By Mark Richert
St. Louis Cardinals’ Rally Squirrel Relocates to Ballwin Missouri After a nation-wide flirtation with fame,the St. Louis Cardinals’ Rally Squirrel has taken up residence in the Ballwin area. According to sources, the instant notoriety was too much for the little critter to handle. Speculation Abounds Regarding His Exact Whereabouts in Ballwin It was reported that he ... [Continue Reading]
Oct 17

World Series Parking in Downtown St. Louis

By Mark Richert
Places to Park in Downtown St. Louis View Parking in Downtown St. Louis in a larger map. The Cardinals are in the World Series! So Where Do You Park? It’s going to get a little crazy here with the World Series.  Parking will be as valuable as an RBI or a stolen base.  The map ... [Continue Reading]
Oct 24

St Louis Restaurants Offering Free Shuttles to World Series Games

By Mark Richert
St. Louis-Soulard Restaurants with Free Shuttle Service to Busch Stadium Rumor has it Rally Squirrel has been spotted in the Soulard Market area taking advantage of free shuttle services from  popular restaurants. Why hassle with all of the parking and traffic, when you can grab a bite to eat before the game and get free ... [Continue Reading]
Oct 29

World Series MVP David Freese Puts Spotlight on Wildwood

By Mark Richert
St. Louis Cardinals MVP David Freese Brings National Focus On Wildwood MO David Freese, from Wildwood Missouri, captured the hearts of millions of baseball fans with his stellar performance throughout the 2011 World Series. The New York Times headline read “Freese Is Most Valuable and Most Improbable.”  After 3 years of injuries, Freese rebounded and led the ... [Continue Reading]
Nov 01

Clayton Real Estate Market Goes Against Local Trends

By Mark Richert
City of Clayton MO Real Estate Market Rebounds It’s almost hard to believe that there are actually some bidding contests between buyers in the St. Louis Real Estate Market.  The St. Louis Post Dispatch recently reported that it’s starting to happen in the Clayton Real Estate Market.  One home buyer wrote a passionate letter to a ... [Continue Reading]
Nov 27

4 Great Apps for Shopping in St Louis

By Mark Richert
Save Time and Money with These 4 Top Shopping Apps If you’ve seen any of the  “Black Friday” videos of people trampling each other to save a couple of bucks … you know there’s got to be a better way to shop. As a public service, we’d like to share 4 great apps for shopping in St. ... [Continue Reading]
Dec 13

How to Take Hands Free Photos on Your iPhone

By Mark Richert
How to Use Your Headphones to Take Photos on the iPhone You can now get better pictures with the iPhone without having to touch the screen. The new iOS 5 upgrade lets you to use your headphone as a shutter-release button. Ever had to delete a blurry picture because you bumped it while trying to take ... [Continue Reading]
Dec 15

Giftinator Shows Best Holiday Tech Gift for Your Mom

By Mark Richert
The Giftinator is the Gift Guide to Find the Best Tech Gift for Mom Don’t know what to give Mom for the Holidays?  Is she high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech? Here’s the perfect interactive guide that will lead you to the perfect gift for your Mom based on her skill level. Remember, if it wasn’t for her ... [Continue Reading]
Jan 02

Hope for the St. Louis Real Estate Market

By Mark Richert
Recovery for the St. Louis Housing Market in 2012? New Years Day is a reflective time for many people.  We spend time looking at the recent past and try to conjure up a vision for the year ahead.  In real estate it’s been a year that many would like to forget.  But what about 2012? Is there some evidence of ... [Continue Reading]
Jan 07

How to Buy a Home with a Friend or Partner

By Mark Richert
Buying a Home with a Friend If you’re single and you want to buy a home, but your income isn’t enough to purchase what you want, you could consider a buying partner. Especially in large, more expensive cities, there’s a growing trend these days for friends to team up and purchase property together. Buying More ... [Continue Reading]
Jan 11

4 Reasons The Real Estate Prophet Says BUY Now

By Mark Richert
“I have been waiting for more than five years to offer this advice. It is now time in most cities across the country to buy a new home or refinance your existing home with thirty-year fixed rate mortgage debt.” So says the author John R. Talbott of The Coming Crash in the Housing Market which was ... [Continue Reading]
Jan 12

i’m Watch: The Future Arriving this Spring to Your Wrist

By Mark Richert
i’m Watch Introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show What is i’m Watch? One event gadget-lovers and geeks look forward to is the annual Consumer Electronics Show which gives us a peek into the future. The i’m watch turned a lot of heads this year.  It’s a hybrid of a phone, browser, watch and music player all on ... [Continue Reading]
Jan 18

St. Charles County Real Estate Statistics 4th Quarter 2011

By Mark Richert
Comparing the St. Charles County Real Estate Market Statistics to 2010-4th Quarter Results *Data above is from MARIS Key Numbers from St.Charles County Real Estate Market Statistics Median Sales Price: As you can see in the graph above the median sales price was down 9% compared to 2010. Is that good news or bad news? ... [Continue Reading]
Feb 10

Why Businessweek and Bloomberg Chose Crestwood as Best Place to Raise Kids in Missouri

By Mark Richert
Find Out How Businessweek and Bloomberg News Selected Crestwood as the Best Place to Raise Kids in Missouri What was the winning recipe that landed Crestwood the “Best Place to Raise Kids” in Missouri Award? Have you ever sat in one of your favorite restaurants enjoying your favorite dish and wishing you had the recipe? Behind ... [Continue Reading]
Mar 07

Chesterfield Amphitheater Concert Series|2012 Upcoming Events

By Mark Richert
2012 Upcoming Events for Chesterfield Amphitheater The Chesterfield Amphitheater just announced the 2012 list of upcoming events in Central Park. Last year was a tremendous success and the word is out that this is the place to be for live music, outdoor movies and family fun. The natural setting is gorgeous, not to mention romantic, ... [Continue Reading]
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