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FHA 203K Loans–The Construction Loan For Your Average Borrower
FHA 203K Loans–The Construction Loan For Your Average Borrower Yesterday I came across a buyer for one of my listings that needed work and I suggested he take a look at an FHA 203K loan. He had never heard of the loan so I told him some generalities and suggested that he contact an expert, Sean Zalmanoff at USA Mortgage. Sean has been taking the time to educate realtors about this loan program for several years because he believes its the best way to take a house that would be perfect if it had a certain “this or that”...
read moreSmall Condo Associations in St. Louis City
Recently I’ve been approached to list and sell several condos in small associations here in the city. They have all been beautiful units in the historic buildings that were rehabbed during the boom between 2000 and 2006. When I say small associations I mean less than 6 units. In most cases the the building will have a commercial storefront or 2. Sometimes these storefronts have been rehabbed into commercial space and in others they have been converted to a residential condo. The problem is that the secondary mortgage market has...
read moreNew Activity in the Heart of Downtown St. Louis
I read two articles this week that are encouraging about the future of Downtown St. Louis. The first was an article about a new movie theater coming to Washington Ave. in 2012. The owners of 2 other boutique theaters in St. Louis City are opening a 3rd location in the 11 story Mercantile Exchange Building at 6th and Washington. St. Louis Cinemas who already own the theaters at the Chase, Moolah, and Galleria will own and operate the new theater in the Mercantile Exchange. The theater will have an adults only entrance policy....
read moreLast Fish Fry of the Season
Although the end of the fish fry season is upon us today, I wanted to call some attention to the St. Louis institution that is the Lenten Fish Fry. Most local Catholic parishes offer fish fries to the parishioners and other neighborhood residents each Friday during lent. It is standard Catholic practice to abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, which lasts 40 days. Lent begins after Fat Tuesday each winter and ends on Easter each April. That yields 6 opportunities for fish fry enthusiasts to partake each spring. The standard...
read moreCensus Numbers Show City’s Population Down Nearly 10%
The new census figures came as quite a shock to many city dwellers. The figures are also quite a disappointment to city officials and proponents of city living in general. But this notion of the St. Louis area “hollowing out” is not necessarily true if the figures are examined more closely with regard to certain neighborhoods and wards. In other ways the problem is more extreme than many know. According to this article in the St. Louis Beacon the 6th and 7th wards saw growth. These wards comprise the Lafayette Square, Gate...
read moreMardi Gras Grand Parade and Celebration March 5th 2011
Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration March 5th 2011 Taste of Soulard and the Pet Parade were a success. The weather was pretty good and hopefully it holds up for Mardi Gras in Soulard this weekend! The weekend kicks off with the Mayor’s Ball on Friday night and Mardi Gras culminates with the parade starting at Busch Stadium 11AM and proceeding down Broadway on the east side of Soulard. Check the Mardi Gras Inc website for more info. River City Casino Grand Parade Where: Soulard! Parade Location: Soulard Saint Louis Route begins at...
read moreTaste of Soulard This Weekend
Taste of Soulard This Weekend Mardi Gras festivities in Soulard have been going on for a couple of weeks now. This weekend is the biggest so far and will be the biggest leading up to the parade a week from Saturday. Mardi Gras Inc. is the place to check for all of the details Mardi Gras Inc. On tap for this weekend will be the Taste of Soulard, 5K Run on Saturday, and the the Pet Parade on Sunday. These events will bring 10’s of thousands to the neighborhood this weekend. Although the crowds pale in comparison to the Mardi Gras...
read moreSo You’re Interested In Buying A Foreclosure In St. Louis?
So You’re Interested In Buying A Foreclosure In St. Louis? Most buyers that I begin working with in the current market are interested in buying a foreclosure or a short sale that they can pick up cheap. However, once we get into seriously looking their tunes often change. This is the case regardless of what price range and what type of property they are looking for. The reasons vary from buyer to buyer but the most common reason….these properties need a lot of work! This goes without saying and most people realize this...
read moreMidtown Alley and Field House
Mid town continues its growth all the time and it seems that the Chaifetz Arena, home of Saint Louis University’s Billikens, is one of the main catalysts. According the blog on sauce magazine’s website a new establishment called “Field House” opened last week. They are open daily with the kitchen open til 1AM, something students will love. The restaurant is located at Theresa and Locust in the new PW Shoe Lofts which is just north of SLU’s campus on the east side of Grand Ave. PW Shoe Lofts has some great pictures of...
read moreArt Hill
Because there has been so much snow on the ground I figured I would post some info and directions about St. Louis’ most popular sledding destination, Art Hill. Art Hill is located in Forest Park right next to the Art Museum, hence the name. On any day that there is a enough snow for sled or saucer to glide you will find dozens of people enjoying Art Hill at any time of the day or night. Art Hill wraps around a lake in front of the Art Museum which keeps it from feeling to crowded despite the large number of people. The parks...
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