Nancy Knows Madison County

Connect with the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:43:22 -0600

The poet T.S Eliot, who was born in St. Louis, called the Mississippi River, "a strong, brown god." The river, he said, had a more profound influence on his life and his work than anything else in his past.

Here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs we don't always embrace the "strong brown god," which is the overwhelming geographic feature of our region, as closely as we should.

Sure we drive across the bridges to and from the neighboring state of Missouri, but aside from remarking that the river looks high or low, we don't pay much attention to the amazing big river that has inspired poets like Eliot, writers like Mark Twain, musicians like W.C. Handy and artists like John James Audubon down through the centuries.

Let's change that, shall we? Next beautiful day this fall, take a drive out to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and the Low Water Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has created a terrific parking area at the Low Water Dam on the Illinois banks. To get there, just take I-270 west to the Route 3 exit. Head south on Route 3 and turn west on Old Chain of Rocks Road. You'll cross over a canal onto Chouteau Island and from there will enter the Low Water Dam site. (My husband's family once owned farms on the river island before it was federalized for construction of the canal, so the spot is very special to us.)

You'll see people enjoying themselves fishing or --as I did -- just watching the swirls and ebbs of the swift currents passing by. This portion of the Mississippi is closed to navigation. Barges and boats bypass the area in the Chain of Rocks Canal.

We saw large fish jumping around the shore and a red fox dashing off through the woods. The Mississippi hosts resident and migrating birds all through the year and the bird watching is great here and at the conservation areas near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers just a bit north.

Looming over the Low Water Dam is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. This structure was the original Old Route 66 span across the Mississippi River. It opened in 1929 as a toll bridge and became part of Route 66 in 1936 to carry cars traveling the Mother Road from its origin in Chicago to the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California.

Today the National Historic Landmark bridge is open as one of the largest pedestrian and biking bridges in the world. It is owned by the city of Madison and operated by Trailnet, the non-profit organization that promotes active living, maintains and develops trails and anchors projects along the confluence of America's great rivers. You can learn more on Trailnet's site at www.trailnet.org.

Annual events on the bridge include the St. Louis Route 66 Festival on the first Saturday in October, Eagle days in January and a wide variety of bike rides that make use of the bridge. Individuals are welcome to use the bridge for recreation.

Park at the entrance to the bridge on the Illinois side for easiest access. Parking is open on the Missouri side for special events.

You can spot two of St. Louis' most interesting architectural features from the brige deck or from the parking lot at the Low Water Dam -- castles in the middle of the Mississippi.

Built to look like Roman fortress and a Roman villa, the "castles" are actually water intake towers for the City of St. Louis' municipal water system which is located on the Missouri side of the river.

The green-roofed tower was built in 1894 and the other followed in 1915. Originally crews lived in the quarters inside the towers and reached them via a dyke from the shore.Today the unstaffed towers provide water to the waterworks via a pipe system.

(A couple of years ago, St. Louis was voted as having the best tasting municipal water in the nation, so the river castles must be doing something right!)

Enjoy our natural heritage along the Mississippi River. And come back to the blog to let me know what you find along the shores and trails.

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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a REALTOR with the GoshenRealtyGroup at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs with special emphasis on homes for sale in Madison County and the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville, Troy, Bethalto and surrounding areas.

Goshen Realty Group takes its name from the earliest nickname for Madison County, Illinois -- the Land of Goshen -- coined when the region's first settlers compared their new home east of the Mississippi River to the biblical land of peace and plenty.

For more information, visit GoshenRealtyGroup.com or e-mail Nancy at Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com. Text or call Nancy at 618-791-8007. REMAX Preferred Partners is located at One 157 Center, Edwardsville, IL 62025.

Please note that individual listings periodically mentioned in this blog are accurately described in terms of availability and price at the time of the posting. Because properties are constantly coming on and off the market, please contact Nancy for the latest information on those that are of particular interest to you.

Homes for Sale in the Historic Leclaire Area of Edwardsville Illinois

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:26:12 -0600

What started as an innovative company town is now one of the most popular residential neighborhoods in Edwardsville, Illinois.

The Leclaire neighborhood exemplifies the "look" of Edwardsville with its frame or brick homes, many of which were built in the Craftsman style.

The area is always on the radar of potential buyers who ask us to let them know as soon as the neighborhood's properties hit the market.

Here is a list of homes for sale in the historic Leclaire area of Edwardsville.

Founded in 1890 by industrialist N.O. Nelson, the Leclaire area was named for the Frenchman who developed profit sharing and inspired Nelson to create a place where his workers could experience the best possible living and working conditions.

The model town he built provided easy-to-afford housing, a park for recreation and schools for the workers at Nelson's plant which manufactured plumbing materials. Nelson's vision also encompassed his factory's architecture which was designed to provide natural light and fresh air for the workers -- amenities unheard of at a time when sweatshops were more the norm.

The streets in Leclaire were named for the presidents, writers, social reformers and other famous people who had inspired Nelson's new village. The streets maintain their names and their historic homes today.

Leclaire was incorporated into the city of Edwardsville in the 1930s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

If you would like to know about Edwardsville's Leclaire homes as they come on the market, just sign up for a property manager account on our web site at www.GoshenRealtyGroup.com.

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Homes for Sale On and Around Historic St. Louis Street in Edwardsville

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:06:41 -0600

Wide, tree-lined and dotted with lovely homes, St. Louis Street marches through the heart of Edwardsville, Illinois and into the hearts of most residents of the Land of Goshen.

Buyers often ask us to keep an eye out for properties as they become available on or near this lovely neighborhood.

Here's a link to properties that are currently for sale on or near historic St. Louis Street.

Originally a farm road, the street was renamed Fairgrounds Road when a long-forgotten agricultural fair site was built on the outskirts of town. Later the thoroughfare became known as St. Louis Street.

Edwardsville began seeing the construction of stately homes along the route as early as the 1850s.

Today, the homes along the street reflect popular architectural styles from the Victorian period through more modern times. You'll see Federal, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial, Greek Revival and Italianate sharing the neighborhood with a Prairie-style home built just after the turn of the 20th century and more contemporary offerings from Tudor Revival to classic suburban ranches.

Just off St. Louis street, buyers will find a wide range of affordable homes on both the north and south sides of the historic street. Those areas are reflected on the above link as well.

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First-time Sellers - You Are Ignored No More

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:02:51 -0600

Via Kristina Pratt, REALTOR® - GoshenRealtyGroup.com (St. Louis' Illinois Suburbs - RE/MAX Preferred Partners):

First-time buyers get all of the attention, don't they? They get tax credits, have special programs designed especially for them and they have agents market directly to them. That doesn't seem fair, does it?

Well, first-time sellers rejoice! You are no longer being ignored. I get it. First-time buyers eventually turn into first-time sellers. What happens when you're ready to move-up or you outgrow your current digs?

An agent was there to help you through the buying process, but what now? Do you stick a For Sale By Owner sign in the yard? Do you call the agent that helped you buy the house? Maybe you'll check out Zillow to get an idea about what your house is worth. Should you talk to more than one agent? How on Earth do you manage the details in getting your house sold while at the same time finding a new one?

It's confusing, overwhelming and frustrating, isn't it? That's why hiring an agent is your first step. But not just any agent... an agent that understands the specific needs of first-time sellers.

Agents that have experience with your particular situation are an invaluable ally to have on your side. When helping first-time sellers, I realize that you have lots of questions and need me to devote more of my time to you. I won't just list your house, stick a sign in the yard and never speak to you again. I'll return your e-mails, texts and calls. I love connecting with you on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. And when your house goes under contract, I'll be there with you step by step through financing, inspections, appraisals and closing.

By the way, I didn't mention that you might be eligible for the expanded home buyers tax credit. You could qualify for a $6,500 tax credit to purchase your next home. Cool, huh? Want details? Text, e-mail or call me anytime.

About the Author: Kristina Pratt is a REALTOR® with Goshen Realty Group at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Nancy Milton help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs of Madison and St. Clair counties with special emphasis on the communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville and Troy. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.GoshenRealtyGroup.com or e-mail Kristina@GoshenRealtyGroup.com

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Whooooo Are You? Who-Who-Who-Who...? I Really Wanna Know

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:32:35 -0600

As we zoom toward the end of the year, my Goshen Realty Group partner, Kristina, and I have been looking over our closed transactions to spot our business patterns and figure out how to build on successes for even better years in 2010 and 2011.

We want to know who are buyers are and where our next buyers are coming from.

In recent months, we've seen a surge of buyers in our territory -- St. Louis' southwestern Illinois suburbs -- coming from a specific group: young, single men buying their first homes.

These savvy buyers with good jobs were under 30 years of age and all of them understood that -- given their incomes -- throwing money away on monthly rent for any longer than necessary was foolish. They have made up 25 percent of our buyer business.

Married couples have made up 33 percent of our buyer business. They've been a mix of first-time and move-up buyers, with first-timers taking the lead. Another 33 percent of our buyer business has come from non-traditional households. Those transactions included parents buying homes for their college students attending Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, unmarried couples sharing a household, and adult children buying homes for their aging parents' use.

Surprising us was the fact that only eight percent of our business has come from single women. (Come on, ladies! We'll talk to you about this issue in a separate post. We might have to channel Beyonce's "Single Ladies" tune to get you revved up about home ownership!) The numbers of single women buyers are much higher nationally.

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) surveys home buyers every year to help us thnderstand the big picture in American homebuying. The latest report was released this week.

According to NAR, "One of the most important changes in this year's survey was shaped by record home affordability and the availability of the first-time home buyer tax credit-the share of first-time buyers."

In 2009, NAR's survey found that 47 percent of all home purchases between July 2008 and June 2009 were first timers. (Compare that to 40-41 percent in an average prior year). This is the biggest number of first-time buyers in more than 18 years.

Nationally, the figures continued -- mostly -- to mirror our local findings. NAR says the typical first-time home buyer was 30 years old with a median income just over $60,000. NAR also found that repeat buyers were 48 years old with a median income of just over $88,000.

Here's where our Goshen Realty Group figures veered off from NAR. The NAR survey found that 25 percent of first-time buyers are single females, and 12 percent are single males. Married couples were 49 percent of first-timers. The rest of the national pie is made up of buyers in a variety of living and joint ownership arrangements.

Two-thirds of first-time buyers told NAR that they purchased simply because of their desire to own a home of their own. Repeat buyers said they purchased their home for a large variety of reasons, including a job-related relocation or a personal move, desire for bigger home, or a change in their family needs.

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What's in a Room? That Which We Call a Room By Any Other Name Would Count as Much

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:15:24 -0600

OK, I apologize to Wm. Shakespeare for twisting his lovely words -- "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by another other name would smell as sweet." from Romeo and Juliet for the headline on this post, but I couldn't resist a little literary fun this morning.

What did Shakespeare mean? Scholars will tell you that he may have been poking fun at the rival Rose Theatre, but his point in the context of the play was that it mattered what something IS, not what it is CALLED.

So what is a room? Often my sellers will ask me why one portion of their home "counts" as living space on the MLS listing for their property and another does not. After all, they live in the whole house, don't they?

The vagueries of room count notwithstanding, there is an accepted method to the madness. A room, according to the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standard, is a finished and enclosed space that is suitable for year-round use. It will have walls, floors and a ceiling similar to the rest of the house.

These common rooms ARE included in a home's room count:

Living Room
Dining Room
Great Room
Media Room
Kitchen
Bedroom
Sitting Room
Breakfast Nook (if separate from the kitchen)
Game Room
Sun Room (if it is heated)
Finished Basement Rooms

These common rooms ARE NOT included in a home's room count:

Bathroom
Laundry Room
Mud Room
Utility Room
Foyers
Hallways
Unfinished Basement Rooms
Unheated Sun Rooms
Garage
Walk-in Closets (even if it is bigger than my college apartment)

This is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the possible rooms in any home. I've been in Victorian homes that have Card Rooms and Parlors and in new homes that have Craft Rooms and other redefined and renamed living spaces.

Realtor readers: I'd love it if you would weigh in on whether your association uses a different standard or has interesting issues with room counts.

And now, "a thousand time, good night!"

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How to Turn a Bad Fridge into Cold Cash

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:17:55 -0600

I find a lot of our buyers are excited about seeing an older refrigerator in a house they're considering purchasing. Their first reaction is, "Let's get the appliance we want for the kitchen after we move in and move this bad boy to the garage/laundry room/wherever as the "Beer Fridge!"

Maybe it's because we're from the metro area where "The King of Beers" has been brewed since the 1800s, but the feeling about a secondary refrigerator is almost universal here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs. Even people who don't, uh, "indulge," see the appeal of an ugly duckling fridge in an unseen part of the house for party trays, soda, the Thanksgiving turkey, etc.

But, from time to time there is a refrigeration unit so unsavory or unneeded in a newly acquired home that there is no place of refuge, no corner dark enough to hide it from sight. That's when you're faced with a new question, "What do I do with this old fridge?"

Believe it or not, Ameren, the Illinois utility company, has a solution. Their Act On Energy Refrigerator and Freezer Recycling Program will haul it away for FREE and will pay you $35 for getting rid of it. This works for old freezers too.

Who doesn't want something back from Ameren? Call 866-899-9088 or click on the Act On Energy web site to schedule your free pick up.

Why are they doing this? It seems for every old appliance you turn off in your household, Ameren figures you can save up to $100 in annual energy costs. This could be the gift that keeps on giving.

What are the rules? You have to be an Ameren Illinois Utilities residential electric customer and the refrigerator or freezer must be in working (cooling) condition. The unit has to have been made before 1993 and be from 10 to 27 cubic feet in size.

So if that Harvest Gold, Avocado or Coppertone appliance has no place in your new stainless-steel kitchen, call Ameren and turn a bad fridge into cold cash.

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Goshen Gourmet Welcomes Dippin' Dots to Edwardsville

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:42:59 -0600

Yes, I know little flash-frozen ice cream pellets might not be everyone's idea of a gourmet food experience, but I found the idea of a free-standing Dippin' Dots store that just recently opened in Edwardsville too interesting to resist.

Dippin' Dots is typically found served from a cart at stadium events. Here in the St. Louis region, the Edward Jones Dome, Busch Stadium and Scottrade Center (or as my husband -- who has refused to follow its many name changes -- calls it, "that place they play hockey") all have a DD vendor cart. It also is ubiquitous at attractions such as Six Flags theme parks, zoos (including our own Saint Louis Zoo) and any place you see families gathered for a day of fun.

For those of you who haven't experienced a Dippin' Dot, here's a litle background on the company and its claim to fame:

Back in 1988, a microbiologist named Curt Jones used his scientific knowhow to create these teensy, round bits of ice cream, sherbet and yogurt. (We have to assume it was a slow day at the lab.)

Jones' "high-tech, cryogenic freezing process" takes place at the company's Paducah, KY facilities not too many hours from our home in Southweestern Illinois. (He actually started the company in his parents' Grand Chain, Illinois garage in Pulaski County.)

The ice cream flavors are flash frozen with liquid nitrogen, then packaged and shipped to retail locations.

Dippin' Dots is a privately owned company, so -- sadly -- there is no opportunity for dot lovers to buy stock in the operation.That's probably for the best, as the company can grow while keeping quality and customers in mind, not just stockholders.

Which leads us back to the franchised DD store that opened recently in Edwardsville. In addition to getting a clear, plastic cup filled with dots in the traditional manner, customers can enjoy the following types of treats: dot cakes, dotwiches (ice cream sandwiches), milkshakes, floats, sundaes and a big variety of toppings. You also can get Dots 'n Cream which is traditional ice cream blended with DD.

Dot flavors vary by location and by visit, but some of the favorites include Banana Split, Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Cookies n Cream, Birthday Cake, Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Rainbow Ice, Strawberry Cheesecake, Orange Sherbet, S'mores and Peanut Butter Chip. Fudge and Vanilla also come in no-sugar-added versions. If someone in your family has allergy issues, just ask the staff. They have information on the treats' contents. Note that DD is also Kosher-Dairy.

I had a cup of S'mores -- chocolate with graham cracker pieces and marshmallows -- and my Goshen Realty Group partner, Kristina, had Strawberry Cheesecake yogurt. As we finished our treats, we watched a group of moms and kids who had just gotten out of school come in and press their faces against the glass cases. Most of the younger customers ended up with Bubble Gum or Cotton Candy. A couple dove into Birthday Cake. The kids seemed to enjoy eating blue food.

What does it taste like? Your first spoonful of Dippin' Dots is going to present your mouth with a crunchy-yet-smooth texture and a tingly burst of fresh flavor. They do melt as time passes so be sure to actually eat the little beads while you're playing with them in the cup.

Here's a link to a $1 off coupon to try Dippin' Dots for yourself. When you visit the Edwardsville store, tell them the Goshen Gourmet sent you.

PS --With Christmas, Hanukah and other gift-giving holidays approaching, you also might want to consider getting your little gourmet his or her own dot maker. Here's a link to the Dippin' Dots machine available at Toys R Us.

The Edwardsville Dippin' Dots is located in Edwardsville Crossing at 215 Harvard Drive. (That's the new plaza behind Dierberg's.)

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Affordable Homes for Sale in Edwardsville IL

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:25:03 -0600

As the seat of Madison County, the home of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and the site of an acclaimed school district, Edwardsville can give the impression of being out of reach to some home buyers.

Not so! There are a number of affordable homes on the market right now in Edwardsville.

Click here to see a list of homes currently for sale in Edwardsville, Illinois priced at under $100,000.

Click here to see a list of homes for sale in Edwardsville priced between $100,000 and $150,000.

Some homes in the very lowest price ranges in any community may be listed as needing some "TLC," or "tender loving care." That's generally a kindly shorthand for "fixer-upper home." Many will require mostly cosmetic changes and some need more extensive repairs. Only you can decide how much effort you are able to afford -- in both time and cash -- to put into making an ugly ducking home look like a swan.

If one of these homes touches your buying button, we also can discuss a HUD 203K loan with your good, local lender. The 203K will allow you to rehabilitate the property and roll the money you need to restore the home right in to your home loan. Hud provides this extra money -- up to a $35,000 cap -- to help with neighborhood revitalization. Or, if you go outside of Edwardsville just a bit, you may qualify for a Rual Development Loan which allows 100 percent financing.

Don't forget that right now you also have an opportunity to take advantage of the up to $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers if you are in contract on your first home by April 30, 2010. And if you're an existing owner, you may be able to claim a $6,500 tax credit if you make a move. Always ask your tax advisor for information specific to your circumstances.

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Goshen Gourmet: So Long Til Spring To Bobby's Frozen Custard

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:33:46 -0600

There's a lot to love about Fall -- gorgeous leaves, blue skies and autumn festivals -- but not so lovable is the annual shuttering of a southwestern Illinois tradition.

So here's the bad news, Custard Lovers: You have just a little more than 24-hours to get to Bobby's Frozen Custard in Maryville, Illinois beforel the iconic treat shop closes for the winter.

Bobby's will shut off the custard machines and the neon lights for the winter at 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009.

You can stop by before then to stock up on quarts of frozen custard, concretes (custard shakes mixed with fruits, candies and toppings for you non-locals), Turtle Sundaes and -- of course -- caramel apples.

If you haven't had a Bobby's caramel apple, you're in for a treat. The crisp and tangy Granny Smith apples are the old-fashiond, hand-dipped kind you just can't find anymore. In fact, the apples are such a hit, Bobby has made a video about the process they use to create the gooey goodness. You can see the caramel apple video here.

Learn more at www.BobbysFrozenCustard.com. Bobby's is located at 2525 North Center Street (Highway 159) in Maryville, IL 62062. (That's between I-70 to the south and I-270 to the north.)

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Call Us About ConocoPhillips Wood River Refinery Relocation Homes

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:29:24 -0500

The massive ConocoPhillips EnCana Wood River refinery in Roxana, Illinois is expanding, bringing great new jobs to our area for skilled craftsmen and contractors. That's excellent news for Madison County, Illinois in the midst of the ongoing national recession.

According to the companies, the $2 billion project is expected to be completed for production to begin in the early months of 2011. The expansion will upgrade capacity and will increase the production of clean fuels for the Midwest.

The refinery, located on approximately 2,200 acres at the intersection of IL Highway 111 and Madison, is operated by ConocoPhillips in cooperation with EnCana Corp., a Canadian oil producer.

If you're relocating to the area for jobs associated with the Wood River oil refinery expansion in the Roxana area, there are great home deals waiting for you across the communities of Madison County.

Contact the Just Ducky Homes team at Refinery@JustDuckyHomes.com or 618-791-8007 for more information on the top deals in Roxana and Wood River and throughout the River Bend area. Or click on our web site at http://www.JustDuckyHomes.com to look for properties that match your needs within just a 30 minute commute or closer to your new job. Communities such as Edwardsville, Bethalto, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Alton and many others provide a wide variety of housing options.

The Just Ducky Homes team specializes in helping people who are buying their first homes in our region. If you're unfamiliar with our area, we have information on schools, community life, recreation and much more to help you and your family find the right home during your relocation.

(FYI, CP employees: Our friends at the Crown Plaza St. Louis Downtown are offering a ConocoPhillips rate of $89 for an oversized guest room. The rate includes a free, hot breakfast; free happy hour; free Internet and free parking. They also have one-bedroom kitchen suites for long-term stays for $59 to $79 per night based on the length of stay. Call the hotel at 314-621-8200 to book. Then call me to start looking for your new home. I can be reached at 618-791-8007.)

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About the Author: Nancy Milton, GRI, is a Realtor with the Just Ducky Homes team at RE/MAX Preferred Partners in Edwardsville, Illinois. She and Kristina Pratt help their customers buy and sell homes and investment properties in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs of Madison and St. Clair counties. For more information, visit their web site at http://www.JustDuckyHomes.com or e-mail Nancy@JustDuckyHomes.com, 618-791-8007.

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Sell Your Edwardsville Home With Goshen Realty Group

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:26:09 -0500

We'll get to the house selling thing I mentioned in the headline in a minute, but here's something that's just for fun. I took a Facebook quiz the other day titled, "How Edwardsville are you?"

The result came back as, "Mayor Neibur." It judged me with this statement: "You are Mayor Niebur. You are a lifelong resident of Edwardsville and have served 5 terms as mayor and have done a great deal of good for the city. Unfortunately, you are not as Edwardsville as Preach..."

That made me laugh and made me think about my own list of things that make you truly an Edwardsvillian. It's really a lot more than being born here...or moving here as a toddler...or coming here for college and never leaving as I did. Note that some of the items on this just-for-fun list will only make sense if you're an Edwardsville person "of a certain age." The rest of you are forgiven for being too young.

NANCY'S LIST OF THINGS THAT MAKE YOU AN EDWARDSVILLE PERSON

You know how to let pedestrians proceed into a crosswalk without running them down (thanks to on-campus training at SIUE)
You understand that trick-or-treating takes place on the night before Halloween so you can go to the Halloween parade on October 31
You adore Preach and worry if you don't see him around for a while.
You took your first legal drink at The Granery -- at age 19, I might add. (I'll allow Vanzo's as a substitute.)
You remember when the LeClaire water tower was actually the Jimi Hendrix water tower.
You know that LeClaire was a company town before it was just a neighborhood
You're still longing for the long-gone lunch counter at Schwartz Drugs.
You met your future spouse by literally stepping on him at the MRF (okay, maybe that was just me)
You remember that the Historic Col. Benjamin Stephenson House was previously the TKE frat house
You "attended class" at Stagger Inn (or maybe that was just the Mass Comm majors. My husband tells me that the math/comp sci folks hung out at Vanzo's)
You're guilty of buying dented, label-less cans for cheap at the old National grocery store during college, thus ensuring that dinner would be a yummy surprise. Sometimes it was ravioli. Sometimes it was dog food, so you had to look for a stray dog
You still grab a kid and run to Miner Park when it snows to sled down the amazing hill
You held kiddie birthday parties at Cottonwood Bowl, Montclaire Bowl, Pantera's, Cottonwood Cinema or Skate Corral
You shopped at the Bargain Barn
You and Chimega were on a first name basis
You drive through the Bank of Edwardsville on Christmas Eve just to get the huge apples.
You remember Peter Station and Whistle Stop
You inadvertently stampeded cows in a relative's Edwardsville pasture (again, maybe that was just me)

Feel free to add to the list with your comments. I'm sure there are a lot of things I'm forgetting.

Now back to the important house-selling stuff. If you're looking for a Realtor who really knows the Edwardsville area (and the rest of Madison County, for that matter)...send me a message. It will be fun to recall the good old days together while I fill you in on what's happening in the local real estate market. Or, if you're newer to E'ville or SIUE, I can tell you about some of the history and quirks you may be finding here while we talk about your real estate needs.

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RE/MAX Poll Asks: What Would Help the Real Estate Market Most Right Now

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:25:58 -0500

In an on-line poll of it agents and brokers, RE/MAX has asked real estate professionals to weigh in on what would make the most positive difference in the market right now.

The answer that rose very clearly to the top was the creation of a tax credit for all homebuyers. The streamlining of short sales and a renewed tax credit for first-time homebuyers followed as the number two and three suggestions.

Here's the way the poll responses look to date:

Tax credit for all homebuyers 63.37%

Streamlined short sales 17.23%

Renew first-time homebuyer tax credit 12.28%

Foreclosure moratorium 1.19%

Lower interest rates 2.77%

Jumbo loan availability 2.97%

Higher conforming loan limits 0.20%

Keeping in mind that all real estate is local, what would you say about the area in which you live and work? Here in Edwardsville and the rest of St. Louis' Illinois suburbs, foreclosures have not overwhelmed the market. And I have seen a rush in first-time buyers dashing to the November 30 finish line to get the tax credit.

Do you agree with more government intervention in the market? Or, is it time to let market forces act independently? Have you seen an upsurge in buyers over the past couple of months because of the first-time buyer tax credit? Maybe you have a solution that isn't on the list. Let's talk.

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The Goshen Gourmet Welcomes The Cupcakery to Edwardsville IL

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:17:36 -0500

Can you smell the luscious cloud of sweet buttercream blanketing Edwardsville, IL? It's likely coming from the newest specialty shop in town -- The Cupcakery.

Located at 1057 Century Drive off 157 near Quiznos, the newly opened gourmet cupcake bakery is offering sinful selections today, including Confetti (Vanilla Buttercream on French Vanilla cake); Tuxedo (Vanilla Buttercream on Dark Chocolate cake); Peanut Butter Cup (Peanut Butter Buttercream on Dark Chocolate cake); and Red Velvet (Cream Cheese Icing on Red Velvet cake).

During my lunchtime visit I chose a Tuxedo and a Red Velvet for myself and my husband and complemented the two with a Pumpkin -- one of the bakery's changing seasonal offerings.

The taste? Magnificent -- deep and rich. Everything the beautifully decorated little cakes promise to the eye, they deliver to the mouth.

(However, in the spirit of full disclosure, a car pulled out in front of me as I was leaving the parking lot. My accident-avoidance maneuver knocked the Cupcakery box on the car's floor, merging the three flavors into something I am going to have to call "Con-Tux-Velvet" or "Red-Tux-Fetti." Delicious nontheless.)

You can mitigate a cupcake disaster like mine by eating your treat inside the lovely lounge area of the bakery. It's decorated with calming colors, hip modern fabrics and clean-lined furnishings. There's also a Party Room for larger groups. It would be a perfect dessert stop for the LWL (Ladies Who Lunch) crowd.

The Cupcakery in Edwardsville also serves a few additional sweet treats such as Frosted Sugar Cookies, a Cakewich filled with buttercream, and a Double Decker which is two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies filled with buttercream. Are you getting the "buttercream" theme?

Hot drinks on the menu give the bakery a coffee house feel with espresso, cappuccino, mocha, chai latte and hot cocoa available along with regular coffee, latte and hot tea. Cold drinks designed to complement a tasty cupcake include milk, organic chocolate milk, iced chai latte and, of course, juice, soda, tea and water.

If you'd like to place a large order, just give them 48 hours notice. The bakers can create up to 24 cupcakes in a same-day order if necessary. Individual cupcakes are $2,75 each, but well worth it when you compare the taste to the usual made-from-a-cardboard-box version found at my house.

The Cupcakery is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.; and it is closed on Sundays.

You can learn more on The Cupcakery's web site at www.CraveTheCup.com. The phone number is 618-656-2287.

Stop by and welcome The Cupcakery to Edwardsville. And don't forget to tell them that the Goshen Gourmet sent you.

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Never, Never, Never Give Up on Buying a Home

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:29:58 -0500

Hey, Buyers, Pull up a chair and let's have a heart-to-heart chat for just a couple of minutes.

Face it. Sometimes buying a house is hard. Especially if you're out there on your own.

But that's why your professional Realtor -- your buyer's agent -- is here. If you listen to your Realtor, you can get into a new home with the least amount of hassle possible at the best price possible.

All you need to do is follow a few simple rules and you'll be getting those house keys before you know it.

1.) Choose Your Realtor -- As a buyer, you deserve to have an agent who is looking out for your interests in a home purchase transaction. Did you know that the person whose name is on the sign outside of that cute house you just drove by is working for the seller -- trying to get the best deal for the seller? Think about that. If the seller has an agent, shouldn't you? This is a professional relationship built on mutual respect and loyalty between the buyer and the agent. You owe each other honesty and integrity to form a great team with one goal -- to get you into a new home.

2.) Get Pre-Approved -- There is no point in looking at homes before you know how much you can afford and in many areas you can't even submit an offer without an attached pre-approval. Go to your lender. They will ask you a variety of questions and -- if you're qualified -- will issue a pre-approval letter. Get a copy for yourself and a copy for your Realtor. Don't know a lender? Ask your Realtor to give you two or three names of lenders who have successfully closed buyers for her this year. Your agent also can tell you if there are city and county grant programs that can help with your purchase. Don't expect your Realtor to show you homes until the pre-approval letter is in hand.

3.) Make a List and Check it Twice -- Decide in what part of the region you'd like to live, how many bedrooms you need and what other "must-haves" are on your list for the home you'd like to find. Make sure you understand the difference between "needs" and "wants." You might "need" three bedrooms, but you might "want" four. Do you "need" a two-car garage, or do you "want" one. Do you want a large yard or a small one? It's easiest to develop this list in a consultation with your Realtor.

4.) Now Look at Houses -- I like to play "Bracketology" with my buyers. We'll look at four or five possibilities and the buyer will choose the one that best fits his needs. When we go out again, he'll choose the best from that lot. Then we'll pit the two top candidates from each outing against each other to get a "winner." We'll repeat if necessary, continuing to compare and contrast the top houses from each round.

5.) Make an Offer -- Your Realtor will research the home you've chosen to see what recent comparable sales tell you about its listing price. Is it overpriced based on recent sales? Is it already underpriced to elicit a quick sale? She also will check the seller's disclosures to make sure there are no red flags about the property's condition. She'll prepare the offer to purchase and will contact the seller's agent to begin negotiations.

6.) Get to Closing -- Inspections, appraisal, loan commitments, contract timelines and deadlines are just a few of the many pitfalls that must be navigated between getting an accepted offer and achieving a successful closing. Your Realtor will understand what needs to be done to protect your interests and help you hold the deal together along the way.

It can be done, my friends. Just follow the steps in order and enjoy your new home. Questions? Call, text or e-mail me.

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