Blog
New Book–Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect
Last week I picked up a copy of Daniel Waugh’s new book called Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect. I finished it in less than a week….a busy week at that. I found myself reaching for it any time I had a free moment. There are so many familiar names and places mentioned over and over that you can almost visualize the events. The book follows the history of street gangs during the Prohibition Era; roughly 1919-1932. The gangs have colorful names such as “Egan’s Rats” and “The Cuckoo Gang” and...
read moreLayar App — Augmented Reality Real Estate Search
At the RE/MAX R4 Convention last week I was introduced to Layar by Chris Smith at Inman News at one of presentations. I have to say that this is one of the most futuristic and interesting applications I have ever seen. The technology is still in its infancy but seems to work really well and could change the way we consume information. The most practical use I see for it is for apartment and housing searches but I could see it being great for travel and marketing of all kinds. For frame of reference layer has over 3000 layers for the...
read moreJim Willen Is Now A Certified Distressed Property Expert
That’s right! I recently got my CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) Designation and I thought I would update my blog with some info about it. CDPE Instructor Dolores Roth from West Palm Beach, Fl made the trip to St. Louis earlier this week to teach 40 local realtors about the ins and out of dealing with properties, homeowners, and investors that are in distressed situations. There was plenty of useful information that I will be implementing during my current and future short sales. The main thing to stress to people who...
read moreHome Sales Down Sharply in July….What did they expect?
It is being reported by multiple outlets today that home sales are down 25% to 40% nationally and locally respectively. This is a huge year over year change for sure. However, this could be easily predicted by anyone in the housing industry or anyone that has even a loose understanding of economics. Up until June 30th of 2010 the federal government had been effectively paying people to buy houses in order to stimulate the economy as a whole. Haven’t owned a home in the last 3 years? Well, here’s $8,000 if you buy before this date. Of...
read moreWork To Begin On Northside Complex
Work is set to begin on a new recreational complex in O’fallon Park in North St. Louis that will be identical to the new rec center/YMCA in Carondelet Park in South City. This is big news because according to the Post Dispatch this will be the first new project of its kind in North City in at least 40 years. It will be interesting to see the popularity of this kind of a resource in this neighborhood. For those who aren’t familiar with the area, O’fallon Park is bounded by I-70 on the north, West Florissant on the west,...
read moreGreat Deal on a Mini Mansion in Tower Grove South
3121 Portis in Tower Grove South Short Sale is Currently Being Negotiated With The Bank Call Today to Get Information Jim Willen 314-329-7849 Deals Like This Don’t Come Along Often Great Price On Handsome Home Half a Block From Tower Grove...
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...
read moreUnique Investment Opportunity Near Soulard in McKinley Heights
Short Sale Opportunity For the Serious Investor Cash Flow of $2700 Per Month All 4 Units Completely Rehabbed 3 Years Ago Call Jim Willen at 314-329-7849 For More info
read moreNew Book–Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect
Last week I picked up a copy of Daniel Waugh’s new book called Gangs of St. Louis: Men of Respect. I finished it in less than a week….a busy week at that. I found myself reaching for it any time I had a free moment. There are so many familiar names and places mentioned over and over that you can almost visualize the events. The book follows the history of street gangs during the Prohibition Era; roughly 1919-1932. The gangs have colorful names such as “Egan’s Rats” and “The Cuckoo Gang” and...
read more