7015 Stanford - University City

University City is one of St. Louis' oldest and most historic near-suburb. It's also a dream location for anyone who works downtown, in midtown, in north or west county, or Clayton.

This home is an ideal fit for first-time buyers or folks transitioning to the area. For one thing, it has been maintained to top degree, so you are not likely to walk into a bunch of "surprises". Also, friendly neighbors, block parties and a strong community feel make the neighborhood a 'no-brainer'.

U. City has come a long way in the last decade. The Loop, about 1/2 mile east, is widely considered one of the coolest districts in the country - not just the city.

Here are the vitals and a link to more photos:
7015 Stanford, 63130
Updated Kitchen with granite tops
2bed/1 bath
2-Car Garage
Fenced Yard
$209,900

An "Almost New" Classic

I like a lot about this house. For starters, if you like "all things Kirkwood", it's about two or three blocks from your entire world. I hear from buyer after buyer how great it would be to be able to walk to school, little shops and restaurants.

Kirkwood Park is a genuine treasure. Isn't there something very cool about the kids being able to wander up to the community center, ice rink, pool, tennis courts? It's just not something you can do everywhere.

It's also clean, fresh and only 4 years old. The rooms are super comfortable and everything is right where you'd hope it would be. These owners have maintained it impeccably. Take a look for yourself in this video tour.

This one is set to come on the market right after the weekend. Here are the details:

342 W. Washington Ave, 63122

4+bedrooms, 4.5 baths
3,802 sq. ft
Finished 3rd floor
9ft Basement Pour
$675,000

"Father of the Bride"

I think there is a reason everybody seems to love this style of home. It's warm, inviting and so comfortable you just want to stay. I had the privilege of helping this family move into this great neighborhood back in 2005. They have only grown more attached to their Webster roots during their time on Planthurst Rd.

Center hall Colonials never seem to go out of style. I remember learning about how desirable they were one day when I called home to say hello to mywife around lunch time. I mentioned the new listing on the market right around the corner from the home we'd only just bought..."that Colonial you like."

She didn't say anything for about 10 seconds. Then she said, "We have to buy it." I thought she was joking, but this March will make 7 years. I guess she wasn't.

Moral of the story: Calling home to say hi around lunch time is ALWAYS a good idea.

Our Move

As many of you know, my team (Colleen, Susan and myself) recently moved to a new office. Our new company is RE/MAX Results, the fourth largest real estate brokerage in St. Louis. Fourth may not seem all that flashy, but this place is a pocket dynamo. Our 100 agents outsell companies way more than twice its size. In the first week I've been here, it's been a great fit and I am very happy to be here.

Thanks to Susan and Colleen, the actual move wasn't so bad for me. I spent the previous day tending to some "baby stuff" and came to the new office on Friday to find things pretty well under control. In fact, by the time I got to the office at 1pm, my computer was up and running and our "down time" was exactly zero minutes. We had two contracts come in on Saturday and have sold three houses in the five days we've been here.

It's been interesting to notice some things that come with moving, though. I now pull out the driveway and head north instead of south. New adjustments for drive time to the dry cleaners and pharmacy will need a little more time to complete. We have to find some new favorite lunch spots, one of the things I'll miss most about being right in downtown Kirkwood. And the boxes!!! Just like all of you, we're pulling things out of boxes everyday as we need them. And it's surprising to see how much stuff in those boxes we don't need.

Thank you all for your continued support of our company, which is stronger and more efficient than ever before. Everything we do is geared towards improving our process and making the "work of moving" smoother for our clients. It's a new year and a new beginning for this team and we are more excited than ever to help you get moving, too!

Making the Most of it

I wanted to post a link here to my friend Toby Tanser's blog. He is a super-cool human being, making the most of his love for people, running and the value of each human life. I always enjoy reading about his friendships and adventures in Kenya, the center of the distance running world.

Toby decided a while back to build a hospital for the people in Kenya who lack many of the basics in daily life, from shoes to healthcare. He has undertaken the goal of raising $15 million, although he'd never tell you that he's doing is almost single-handedly from his apartment in NYC.

I have loads of respect for people who do good things for others, without much fanfare or personal gain -even if it's not $15 million at a time.

http://www.tanser.org/

The Cobbler's Shoes

I woke up this morning with the strangest thought. Well, my first thought was that the Cardinals better dust off their golf clubs for an early off season. My second thought was the ironic one.

Nearly everyday, someone calls me and says, "Would you please come over and tell me what to do to get my house ready to sell?". I am always happy to do this. Sometimes, they are thinking long-term and want to know that the projects they are planning will have a decent return. Other times, the focus is on getting the rooms arranged properly, a fresh coat of paint on the walls and new mulch in the plant beds in order to sell it right away. Either way, after seeing thousands of houses for sale over the last 12 years, I admit that I know what will appeal to buyers when I see it. It's a fun (for me), although occasionally painful process of renewal that homeowners undertake when getting their house ready for market.

So the irony that hit me this morning came as I walked through my dining room and noticed that my dear wife had taken matters into her own hands and finally repaired the broken cabinet door that's been off the hinges for about a week. Our "chubby" three year old managed to split the door by hanging on it. Katie had glued the door back together and "clamped" it with the belt from one of the kids' terry cloth robe. I guess it gets the job done, right?

Then I reached under the kitchen sink to replace the trash bag and found a little puddle- apparently we have developed a slow leak from the hot water supply. I looked around the family room and saw that there was a broken door latch, scuffs and/or finger paint on the walls around our art table, and stains on the carpet from who-knows-what. I went outside and noticed paint chipping around the windows, a broken storm window from a misguided baseball, a stone retaining wall that's 70 years old and showing its age. My favorite was the white sump pump pvc pipe that my three sons have removed from it's proper location. They have converted it into a "fireman's pole" and tied to the tree they like to climb. All this and about 12 other things, which I routinely spend my days telling others to "take care of", were right there under my nose.

At first, I felt like a hypocrite for all of this. How could I, in good conscience, tell everybody else how to present their homes, when my own is so "lived in" by the Jackson 8? But then I realized, mine is not for sale. Additionally, how others perceive the imperfections of my home has no bearing on me...financially, anyway.

If we suddenly decided to sell our house, we would have to follow my own advice.

• Clean, clean, clean. That goes for inside and out.
• Get rid of extra stuff - like, all of it!
• Fresh paint and clean (better yet, new) carpet go a very long way
• The more "finished" the house looks, the better - especially in this market, where buyers have become very, very picky.

I moan when it's time to get the house ready for a party or company coming over. I shutter at the reality that, when on the market, it should be like that for every single showing.

Guess that's why the Jackson 8 aren't going anywhere anytime soon!

So What's New??? A Lot, It Seems

So much has happened in This Real Estate Life since my last blog post, I'm almost afraid to start posting again.

Here are 10 ways to know it's been too long:

10. It's almost time for the "Santa is coming to Kirkwood" post again

9. All 19 of my listings are new since the last post

8. You've sold 50 houses

7. Your kids have moved up a grade

6. Facebook has overtaken Google as the #1 website on the planet

5. The public had time to think the recession is over only to realize... maybe not

6. The Cincinnati Reds got good again

5. The tax credit has come and gone...and been extended

4. There's a new Justice on Supreme Court

3. I'm a new uncle to one and almost a new uncle again! (That will make 23, if you're keeping track.)

2. Interest Rates have gone to UNDER 4.5% - that really is incredible!!!

1. I have an extra kid

It was a great summer and I'm looking forward to getting going with the blog again. If there is anything you'd like to see or hear more about, just let me know and I'll get on it!