A self inspection of all vehicle safety lights should be done regularly. If the turn indicator is signaling much faster than usual it is typically a sign that one of your lights is no longer working. Replacing a burned out bulb can be difficult in many vehicles, and should not be attempted without proper direction. Our Service and Repair Center will gladly replace any bulb, and get you back out on the road.
Homes are selling in St. Charles County. Last year saw home sales increase in most parts of our country and right here in St. Charles County.
What makes this really good news is that in 2011, sales exceeded those of 2010 even though no tax credits were available to buyers who purchased a home last year.
Because most indicators show the market is beginning to improve, you may be wondering if it is time to put your home on the market and make the move you have been considering for your family. While you probably are excited about the prospect of a new home, a lot of questions come to mind. “How much is my home worth, and will I have enough funds to afford the home I want?” “What will it cost me to sell my home?” “What will I have to do to get my home ready to sell?”
Your Realtor can answer these questions and help you set the proper expectations for selling your home in today’s market. Your Realtor will compare and contrast your home to similar homes sold recently in your area. She will use this information to prepare a market analysis that will give you a suggested asking price.
Keep in mind, though, that the market and not you or your Realtor can determine what your home is worth. Your Realtor is an expert at interpreting the market and can help you determine what buyers have been willing to pay for homes comparable to yours. While you may not like what she says your home is worth, remember that like your lawyer, doctor or other professional you hire, you hired your Realtor for her knowledge and expertise. Realtors are ethically and legally obligated to provide their opinion and advice, and not just tell you what you want to hear.
Remember your home value is not necessarily related to how much you have invested in your home; and it has no relation to how much you need to buy your next home.
You may be tempted to tell your Realtor to try your asking price and see what happens, because you can always lower your price. This is almost always a bad idea. Many studies showed that homes priced right in the first place will sell for more than those that had price reductions because they didn’t sell.
Your Realtor can prepare an estimate of your final proceeds or the “bottom line” based on the anticipated sales price, your loan payoff and closing costs. This will give you an idea of the funds you will have available to buy your next home. You can then work with your Realtor and mortgage lender to see if you have sufficient funds to buy your next home. If the proceeds from the sale of your home, and other funds you have available, will not enable you to buy your next home, you may want to save some money before moving forward with the sale of your home.
What will it cost you to sell your home? The great news about hiring a Realtor is that generally you will not owe her anything unless she is successful in helping you sell your home. Realtors offer clients a variety of service options, each with its own compensation or commission structure. The compensation or commission you owe your Realtor will be outlined in the listing agreement you sign with the firm you select. Be sure you understand when and what you will owe your Realtor and what services you will receive in return.
What will you have to do to your home to help sell it? We all have maintenance items we have neglected to correct or address. Maybe it’s a leaking bathroom faucet, a crack in the ceiling, a leaky basement or a backyard that you neglected. While you ignored the problem, thinking you will get to it eventually, your potential buyers will not ignore it.
It is easy to put something in the basement, storage room or closet, thinking you might need it someday. Maybe your closets are full of clothes you eventually will diet your way back into. Chances are that when you move, you will go through your belongings and get rid of some. You will make your home more attractive to potential buyers if you clean out and make it presentable before you list it for sale. In today’s market, potential buyers have a lot of homes to choose from. In any market, but particularly when there are lots of homes to choose from, you can’t rely on buyers to have an imagination. They might not see the potential in your home that is hidden by needed maintenance, cluttered rooms or over-stuffed closets.
It is not easy for us to look at our homes objectively. We see the memories we built, the investments we made, and our personal tastes. Your Realtor can provide the objective eyes to help you see your home as a potential buyer might see it. She will give advice on staging your home to help make the best impression.
Your Realtor will guide you through every step of the home-selling process. Call your St. Charles County Realtor today.
With new housing data released last week, there are some glimmers of hope in the real estate market, which can lead to more sellers stepping out to sell their properties. The federal government is trying to keep interest rates low and stable by extending the federal funds rate near zero through 2014. This move helps mortgage rates stay under 4 percent, with a little fluctuation here and there.
Foreclosures are decreasing in the St. Louis metro area, and the supply of homes for sale is also down, according to the St. Louis Association of Realtors. The national organization checks in with good news too; existing home sales rose by 5 percent in December, higher than a year ago. To be realistic, we do realize there’s a long road ahead of us and we, as a community, may be taking baby steps, but there is some cause for hope as 2012 moves along.
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Kitchens rock! To build more interest in your property or just spiff it up for your family, the kitchen is the best place to start. To get ideas, learn about paint colors, hardware, cabinets, energy savings, green products, anything that goes in your kitchen and the rest of the house, we think you should attend the St. Louis Builders & Garden Show coming up Thursday, February 23 through Sunday, the 26th at America’s Center and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
This is the best place to start any remodeling project and learn what buyers are looking for in their next home. With 500 exhibitors, a wide range of featured speakers you can’t go wrong.
Also coming up is the Builders St. Charles Home Show April 2012 at the St. Charles Convention Center. More about that later.
Big changes are in store for St. Charles residents and those who use the Blanchette Bridge regularly, going from St. Louis County and back. The good news is the westbound section will be replaced with a new, safer modern span. The not-so-good news is travel will be impacted when the westbound section is closed for renovation.
While inconvenient in the short term, rehabbing the westbound lane will add even more appeal to St. Charles, our businesses, economic environment and livability.
The construction, slated to begin around November, will take less than a year, according to the contractor Walsh Construction Company. However, between now and actual construction, anticipate nightly lane closures for utility work.
To keep up with the latest bridge info, go to the Missouri Department of Transportation’s website. You can also sign up for periodic email alerts or call MODOT at 888-275-6636.
When the westbound span is entirely closed, traffic will be routed to the eastbound span (three lanes west and three lanes east). Lanes will be reduced to 11 feet with no shoulders. Top speed is 45 mph.
Motorists are urged to use Route 370 and Route 364 (Page Avenue) instead of the Blanchette Bridge compressed lanes to avoid traffic snarls. It wouldn’t hurt to begin practicing your new route now so that when the time comes, you’ll be an old hand at getting to and from St. Louis County.
Because of traffic rerouting, the bike lane on the Route 370 Missouri Bridge has been closed and re-striped to add a fourth traffic lane. The bridge will be re-striped again in 2014 and the bicycle lane restored.
An important note here: Slow down! Tempers are bound to flare with frustration on the rise, but be considerate and honor the 45 mph or lower speed. Getting to your destination two minutes early is not worth the life of a construction worker or another motorist. Put yourself in their place; what would it feel like if you were working on the bridge surface and cars are whizzing by at 65 miles per hour. We think terrifying.