Blog
A Look at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton
On Sunday after I was finished showing property in the Davis Place neighborhood in Clayton I drove down Big Bend with the windows down to enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having for the last few days. I’m always struck by the life around this part of Clayton. Its a popular place to live and the proximity to Wash U has a great deal to do with it. But there is so much to it than that. When you look around the corner of Big Bend and Clayton there is so much going on. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants within a couple...
read moreMHDC’s FHA Rate is Lower Than FHA Alone
4.5% 30 Year Fixed Rate Loan with Down Payment Assistance I recently found out from one of my preferred lenders that the rate on an MHDC loan is lower than a normal FHA loan. This information is current as of January 18th, 2011. Once of my buyers qualified for an FHA loan with down payment assistance from the Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC). For those that don’t know about the program, a buyer can get a forgivable loan in the form of a 2nd mortgage from MHDC if they meet the requirements set forth in the...
read moreAnother Short Sale Approval From GMAC
I received another short sale approval last week from GMAC Mortgage! GMAC has proven time and again to be the easiest lender to work with when it comes to short sales. This particular deal took only 60 days to get from offer to closing date. That is absolutely the shortest time line you can hope to have if your are working a short sale. This is something that is very important to consider if you are thinking of buying a short sale. As a buyer you should ask your agent to inquire with the seller or listing agent who the bank is that...
read moreLandlords Can File Their Own Evictions
Evictions Although this is an unpleasant topic many landlords will find this information useful. In St Louis City you can file your own evictions for rent and possession or unlawful detainer suits as long as the property is in your name personally (not an LLC or any other business). If your building is owned in the name of an LLC or partnership you will have to hire an attorney to perform your evictions. Evictions can be filed at the Civil Courts building at Tucker and Market on the 1st Floor. Make sure you bring cash because they will...
read moreEgan’s Rats: A Book About St. Louis’ Prohibition Gangs
Egan’s Rats by Daniel Waugh I enjoyed Daniel Waugh’s book Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect so much that I decided to pick up his first book that centers around the street gang, Egan’s Rat’s, as the local papers called them. The Egan’s Rats were powerful during prohibition and had a big part in local and state politics at the time. They participated heavily in bootlegging, gambling and robberies. Like the first book that I read about St. Louis gangs by Daniel Waugh the names of gang...
read moreLots of Street Festivals in STL Saturday 9/25
Hit one of the many street festival going on in and around St. Louis today! Here is a sample of what’s happening 6th Annual Street Festival—Blues City Deli in Benton Park (Live Blues 11-6) http://www.bluescitydeli.com/ Pork n’ Roll—Mississippi Mud House in Benton on Cherokee (Live Music and Boatloads of Pork 4-12) http://porknroll.wordpress.com/ 5th Annual Grovefest—The Grove aka Forest Park Southeast on Manchester between Sarah and Boyle (Live Music, Art, BBQ 4-11) http://inthegrovestl.com/ Food &...
read moreBotanical Heights 20 Million Dollar Neighborhood Project
I just wanted to call some attention to the project that is about to get underway in the Botanical Heights Neighborhood per the article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Saturday September 18th, 2010. Botanical Heights is a neighborhood in South St. Louis that is bordered by Highway 44 on the South, 39th Street on the east, Vandeventer on the west and Chouteau on the North. It is still in its infancy as a neighborhood entity at this point having been known as “McRee Town” in previous decades. McRee Town was bulldozed for all...
read moreShort Sale Approval From Bank of America
Just wanted to put it out there that I got an approval letter from Bank of America for one of my listings that I have been working on now for 6 months! As a Certified Distressed Property Expert, this is certainly a great feeling because I’ve been able to help one of my clients out of a tough spot. This always the best thing about a short sale. At the same time this has been a tremendous learning experience because working with Bank of America is unlike working with any other bank because they are so massive. Although many other...
read moreArch Ground Proposals
5 proposals were recently selected as finalists for the revitalizing the Arch Grounds in Downtown St. Louis. All of the proposals will be on display at the Park for the public to review starting Tuesday August 17th. Each proposal is different and has its strengths and drawbacks. The blog at urbanstl.com has a detailed rendering of each proposal on its post from Tuesday. The commentary that has been flying around twitter and the blogs have been interesting and most are excited about the possibilities. Although the project is still in...
read moreSLU’s Hotel Ignacio in Grand Center
SLU announced a new project recently and I wanted to call some attention to it and the Grand Center Neighborhood generally. The project will be a 51 room boutique hotel on Olive next to Triumph Grill. The Ignacio Hotel will be a venture in partnership with world renowned architect and developer, The Lawrence Group. Steve Smith, one the principals of The Lawrence Group, just happens to own the neighboring Triumph Grill. The plan is for the restaurant to provide food service for the hotel and there is even an interior entrance from the hotel to...
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