Nancy Knows Madison County

We had Callaloo (Jamaican Spinach) and Hot Garlic Noodles as part of our dinner tonight thanks to one of Edwardsville's newest stores -- L & N Market.

This small-but-powerful food lover's paradise is located at 1719 Troy Road in Edwardsville.

Operated by Nnenna Mba-Tucker (pictured here) and her husband Larry Tucker, L & N opened for business in December 2009. Since then, foodies from all across St. Louis' Illinois suburbs have been discovering the market.

Nnenna (pronounced similarly to the name "Nina") grew up in the African nation of Nigeria and has been in Madison County for 17 years.  She and other international immigrants have always had to shop at the global markets in Missouri to find rice, produce, canned goods, frozen entrees and other food items from their homelands.

As savvy entrepreneurs, Nnenna and Larry knew that Edwardsville would be the perfect location for an international store because it is home to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville which attracts a large group of students from around the world.

"They'll come in and tell me that I have to get this or that," laughs Nnenna. "Who knew?" Her customers are happy to find familiar foods already stocked on the shelves and even happier when the warm and accommodating owners agree to order other items for them.

Today we spotted plantains (pictured here), African yams and yucca (cassava) among the offerings in the fresh produce aisle. In the freezer case were Chinese vegetable, pork and leek dumplings; Indian naan bread -- both plain and with garlic; and packages of jute leaves.

The shelves were filled with sauces ranging from the incendiary Sriracha from Southeast Asis to the mild black bean with a variety of curry somewhere in between. Some specialty rices sell so fast Nnenna can't keep enough in stock. Her rice offerings include Sona Masoori from India and sticky rice from China.

In addition to food, the shop sells international calling cards, fashions made from African material, imported entertainment programs and other items that will make global ex-pats feel right at home in the Midwest. As a way of saying "welcome" to their customers, Nnenna and Larry have placed the flags of many nations in a border around the walls of the store.

The market is open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They are closed on Sundays.

If you stop and shop, tell Larry and Nnenna that Nancy sent you.

Today I talked with a couple of buyers who told me they had "heard something" about new loan guidelines from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) but they didn't understand. They wondered what these government changes might mean for them and their chances of getting an FHA-insured loan on a home here in Madison County, IL.

My answer: It probably won't mean much for most of the buyers we work with at Goshen Realty Group here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs.

One important provision that has not changed is that most buyers can still get an FHA loan with a downpayment of 3.5 percent.

But three things have changed with FHA-insured loans:

1.)  Currently, sellers are able to assist buyers with closing cost contributions of up to six percent of the value of their property. That seller assistance is dropping to three percent effective in the summer of 2010.

2.) Buyers will have to pay a higher insurance premium on their FHA-insured loans. The premium is now going to be 2.25 percent of the value of the loan. Previously it was 1.75 percent. This will take effect in the spring.

3.)  A borrower will now need to have a credit score of at least 580 to qualify for a loan with 3.5 percent down. Those with a score of less than 580 are required to have 10 percent down. Previously there was no minimum credit score on paper, but most borrowers have much higher scores anyway. This is expected to take effect summer 2010.

Why has FHA made these changes?  To make sure that their finances are in good shape for the future (there is a congressional mandate that regulates the agency's cash reserves) and to better screen unqualified buyers and keep them from getting loans that have a higher liklihood of default. (Recent news reports point to FHA having more than half a million outstanding loans that are on the road to foreclosure.)

You can see the Department of Housing and Urban Development news release on the FHA changes here.

Do you have real estate or Madison County, Illinois questions? We love to answer them here on the blog, so send yours any time. Got this question recently: 

"Hey, Nancy, What the heck are those things pictured on your Illinois real estate blog's mastehead?"

You mean these things?

This is the legendary Piasa Bird. (That's pronounced Pie-ah-saw.) Today its image is painted on a limestone bluff over the Mississippi River just upriver from downtown Alton, Illinois. Its a favorite picture spot for visitors or locals on eagle watching (winter) or biking (spring, summer fall) trips along the Great River Road. The original image was an ancient carving that was noted by French explorers Pere Marquette and Louis Joliet during their trip down the Mississippi in 1673. Marquette described the beast and sketched it in his diary. Legend has it that the fearsome bird would snatch the brave Illini Indians who lived along the river, creating fear and destroying villages. The great chief Ouatoga devised a plan to kill the beast using himself as bait and 20 braves with poisoned arrows to shoot the bird as it came for the chief. The plan worked and the original image was carved to celebrate the Piasa bird's defeat.  Learn more from my friends at the Alton Convention & Visitors Bureau.

And this is the World's Largest Catsup Bottle. Built in 1949, the bottle rises 170 feet high over IL-159 in Collinsville, Illinois. (I owe the Catsup Bottle a new picture as its recently received a shining new coat of paint and looks just marvelous.) It began life as a water tower and stands over the site of a former bottler of the Brooks Tangy Catsup brand. The Catsup Bottle is considered one of the country's top roadside attractions. Learn more from the catsup bottle's very own web site.

This is the covered bridge in Glen Carbon, Illinois. Located on Glen Carbon Road near the village's Centennial Library, the bridge is a charming landmark in this former coal mining town in Madison County, Illinois. So, I guess we have one of "the Bridges of Madison County" too!

This, of course, is the skyline of St. Louis, Missouri as seen from the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The Gateway Arch, built as a monument to President Thomas Jefferson and his vision of a continental United States, stands 630 feet tall.  St. Louis city is a mere 67 square miles in size. St. Louis County is another 500 square miles. St. Louis' Illinois suburbs -- where Goshen Realty Group works -- covers a larger footprint. Madison County, IL is 725 square miles and St. Clair County, IL is 674 square miles in size.

Yes, you can find homes for sale in Edwardsville, Illinois for less than $150,000. (That's Edwardsville's lovely Leclaire Park pictured here.)

At the height of the market a few years ago it was more of a struggle to get into Edwardsville at this price point, but as of today, there are more than 50 properties that fit the bill.

Some are in great move-in ready shape and others are going to need a lot of work. Most are somewhere in between those two poles. It's safe to say that there is something that should suit everyone who is looking in this affordable price range.

And here's a bonus: Get in contract on your new home before April 30, 2010 and you can take advantage of the federal tax credit of up to $8000 for first-time or $6500 for repeat buyers.

Take the following steps and you can easily get into a home of your own in this popular Madison County community. We work hard to make this process as smooth as possible for you.

1.) Call Nancy or Kristina at Goshen Realty Group for a brief consultation. We'll meet to talk about the homebuying process and help you determine your needs and wants in a new home: 618-791-8007

2.) Hook up with a good local lender to get your pre-approval letter. You'll need to be pre-approved for a loan to make a successful offer to purchase real estate in this market. If you don't have a lender, ask Nancy and Kristina for their list of loan officers who have helped their clients recently.

3.) Visit homes with Nancy and Kristina. You'll be able to see those that best meet your criteria and pre-approved price range in person. 

4.) Select the home that is best for you and Goshen Realty Group will research the property to help you determine how much to offer and will negotiate with the seller's agent on your behalf.

5.) Once you're in contract, Nancy and Kristina and their team will take care of the myriad details that must be handled for a successful closing.

Click here to see the homes for sale in Edwardsville at $150,000 and under.

See something you like? Give us a call.

"Won't you be my neighbor?"

That old song from Mr. Rogers could welcome you to the Ginger Creek subdivision in Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Currently, four single-family homes, a townhouse and a villa are on the market in the Ginger Creek neighborhood.

The two-bedroom, two-bath townhouse with just over 1,000 square feet is listed for $127,900. The four-bedroom, three-bath villa -- listed for $315,000 boasts an open floor plan and 2,800 square feet of living space.

The single-family homes range in price from $139,900 to $495,000.

See the available Ginger Creek homes at this link.

Ginger Creek is located on IL-157 (Old Route 66) straddling the Glen Carbon and Edwardsville city lines. The subdivision entrance is graced with a cute faux mill and spinning water wheel, pictured here.

The neighborhood is approximately one mile from Edwardsville high school and is located in the Edwardsville school district.

Ginger Creek is less than 3 miles from the entrance to Interstate 270, making it a convenient subdivision for commuters.

Here's a map to help you find Ginger Creek.

The neighborhood offers a swimming pool and clubhouse as well as a pair of tennis courts and a stocked lake. It is very close to dining and shopping and to the entrance to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE).

I can help you explore each of the options available in Ginger Creek. As a buyer's agent, I can show you all of the homes and help you determine which of them might best meet your housing needs and wants.

If you decide that you'd like to purchsae one of these Ginger Creek homes, I can research pricing, write the offer and negotiate on your behalf with the seller's agent. My goal is to make the process of buying a home as smooth and painless as possible for my buyer clients. I want you to get the best deal possible.

In our area a buyer's agent's commissions are paid from the seller's proceeds at closing -- not by the buyer. The Ginger Creek sellers all have agents working in their best interests, shouldn't you?

Call or text me at 618-791-8007 or send an email to Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com for help with Ginger Creek homes or for more information about real estate in Glen Carbon and Edwardsville.

Have you been looking for a home in the Glen Carbon Illinois subdivision of Timberwolfe?

Right now there are three homes on the market.

They range in price from $357,900 for a five-bedroom, four-bath two-story home with 4,026 square feet to $395,000 for a four-bedroom, four-bathroom two-story with 3,545 square feet of living space and a saltwater pool.

Click this link to see the available homes in Glen Carbon's Timberwolfe subdivision.

Timberwolfe is conveniently located off Meridian Road near IL-157 close to shopping, dining and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE). It's a great location for commuters and is part of the Edwardsville School District.

Here is a map to help you find the Timberwolfe subdivision.

I can help you explore each of the options available in Timberwolfe. As a buyer's agent, I can show you all of the homes and help you determine which of them might best meet your housing needs and wants.

If you determine that you'd like to purchsae one of these Timberwolfe homes, I can write the offer and negotiate on your behalf with the seller's agent. My goal is to make the process of buying a home as smooth and painless as possible for my buyer clients.

In our area a buyer's agent's commissions are paid from the seller's proceeds at closing -- not by the buyer. The Timberwolfe sellers all have agents working in their best interests, shouldn't you?

Call or text me at 618-791-8007 or send an email to Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com for help with Timberwolfe homes or for more information.

There's a building boom underway in the popular Savannah Crossing neighborhood in Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Four new construction homes and two re-sale homes are now on the market.

They range in asking price from a low of $215,000 for a three-bedroom/two-bath, 2,100-square-foot ranch re-sale home to a high of $244,900 for a new construction ranch home of 1,600 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths.

See the Savannah Crossing homes in Glen Carbon by clicking this link.

Savannah Crossing is conveniently located on Old Troy Road in Glen Carbon, Illinois. These homes are just minutes from shopping and dining and are located in the Edwardsville School District.

Here's a map to help you locate Savannah Crossing.

Many homes in Savannah Crossing subdivision are built with charming Craftsman or Prairie-style touches. They include brick and stone elevations, porches and decorative window, door and garage choices.

I can help you explore each of the options available in Savannah Crossing. As a buyer's agent, I can show you all of the homes and help you determine which of them might best meet your housing needs and wants.

If you determine that you'd like to purchsae one of these Savannah Crossing homes, I can write the offer and negotiate on your behalf with the seller's agent. My goal is to make the process of buying a home as smooth and painless as possible for my buyer clients.

In our area a buyer's agent commissions are paid from the seller's proceeds at closing -- not by the buyer. The Savannah Crossing sellers each have an agent working in their best interest, shouldn't you?

Call or text me at 618-791-8007 or send an email to Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com for help with Savannah Crossing homes or for more information.

Most of my blog posts are more about words than pictures, but today I was graced with the opportunity to view the most magnificent sunset and I had to share it with you.

Like much of the nation, here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs we've been in a deep freeze for a number of days.  At the confluence of America's great rivers -- the Mississippi and Missouri -- sub freezing weather can mean ice jams in the waterways. It also means that the bald eagles have returned to the region during their annual winter migration.

Combine the beauty of the frozen river and the chance to see these magnificent birds in their natural habitat and you have the perfect reason to travel along the Great River Road (officially called the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway) from Alton to Grafton, Illinois.

Take your camera, your binoculars and some well-insulated clothing. This shot was taken from the Wild Goose Saloon in Grafton, Illinois tonight.

That's the towboat James W. Buky pictured heading north on the Mississippi. Just south of this position -- closer to Alton, Illinois -- it appeared that no river traffic was able to get through the frozen water. Ice had pushed up in glistening chunks, making the river's surface look like a giant's discarded rock candy.

Here's a bit a trivia for readers who might not hail from this part of the country. The vessels -- like the Buky -- that operate on our inland waterways to push barges filled with coal, grain, gravel or any number of commodities are called "towboats." The bow (front) of a towboat is flat, allowing the vessel to push the connected string of barges, called a "tow," very efficiently. 

In contrast, a "tugboat" (think of the cute little boats that push ships around in eastern harbors) has a pointed or rounded bow less suited for snuggling up flat to a barge.

Below are three eagles enjoying a fish they caught along the Mississippi River bank tonight. This picture also was captured from the Wild Goose Saloon.

If you go, you can learn more about the best eagle watching locations from the Alton Convention & Visitors Bureau.  And here's a link to a map of the area.

If you stop in at the Wild Goose Saloon, be sure to try the chili and tell them Nancy sent you.

Enjoy your winter adventure. I'll see you along the river!