Special Carpet Cleaning

Special Carpet Cleaning Deal for the Holiday’s that are fast approaching us. The days between now and the 25th of December is growing shorter by the second. At Smart Choice Cleaning we know how hectic this time of year is. You forget what you need to get done because there is just so much to … Continued

How to Know the Time Is Right to Sell Your House

Want to get top dollar for your home? One way is to know the best time to sell. Every situation is different, but to get the best price for your property, you’ll want to match a good selling situation with good market conditions. Furthermore, check out Coastal House Savers‘ website for the selling process guide. … Continued

Rehab Deal of the Week

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Inspecting a Vacation Home

Many Americans chose to buy vacation homes in recent years and during 2007, one-third of all homes sold in the United States were second or vacation homes, according to the National Association of Realtors. Inspections are especially important in summer homes, since those who own them live a median distance of 287 miles from their … Continued

RealtyTrac: Short Sales Up 33% in January, Outpace REO Sales in 12 States

With the number of short sales increasing and even outnumbering REO sales in certain states, experts are speculating short sales might become key to preventing an even greater swelling of foreclosed properties on the market. Compared to a year ago in January 2012, pre-foreclosure sales, which are typically short sales, increased 33 percent, according to a RealtyTrac report released … Continued

Tornado season is here already. Trust John Mica of Shelter Insurance to explain it all to you so you are properly insured.

Spring began officially on Tuesday, March 20 but we had already gotten a taste of an unwelcome weather event—tornadoes. April through July is considered peak tornado season. Tell that to the people living in Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama and our own Joplin, still in the recovery process who have dealt with devastating storms already. Tornadoes are … Continued

Intern Needed for Cloud Intranet for Locally Owned Real Estate Company

Company Description for Grant Hickman Real Estate Advisors:  Real Estate Company Owner (Small Business/Entrepreneur), currently four agents, will grow to about six-10 agents within the next six-24 months. Currently closes about 50 homes per year, looking to jump to 70-100 closing per year. Desire to take my company to the next level by implementing  true plug and play real … Continued

FHA Raising Premiums

The Federal Housing Administration, a U.S. agency, will raise the premiums in April that it charges borrowers. The premium raise will go from 1.0% to 1.75% on the upfront insurance premiums that borrowers must pay when they take out a loan backed by the agency. Borrowers also pay annual insurance premiums when they take out loans backed by … Continued

Real estate attorneys add another layer of protection when you are buying or selling a property.

Most always your real estate transaction goes smoothly, but sometimes there’s a glitch, especially when buying foreclosures and short sales. You need a supportive team behind you, including a real estate attorney to check out all legal issues, especially if you are a first-time buyer. I’ve found that my friend Lorna Frahm has been exceptionally helpful for … Continued

Don’t Wait

A 1% INCREASE IN MORTAGE INTEREST RATE CAN REDUCE YOUR “BUYING POWER” BY APPROX 15%! For example, if you could afford a $200,000 home at a 4% interest rate and the rate rises by just 1%, then the same principle and interest payment might only buy a $170,000, or 15% less home.

10 Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Home

Make sure you are credit worthy. Check your credit history, build up your rating if needed, and fix any errors on your credit report. Consider buying vs. leasing. With costs of buying and selling, plus time needed to build equity, you could end up losing money if you move too soon. Buy a home you can afford. The rule … Continued

Market Watch

DECEMBER 2011  RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE STATISTICS County Active Listings Under Contract Sold in December AVG Days on the Market AVG Sales Price AVG $ per sq. feet ST CHARLES 20166   months of inventory 280 341 159 175,186 89.42 St Louis  45475.2 months of inventory 740 875 149 179,882 101.34 Jefferson 14348.2 months of inventory 192 … Continued

The Measurement of Success

Post from ShawnTihen.com/blog How do you measure the success of a pool party? Is it by the number of people who show up? The amount of food served? The games played with Mycsgoboosting? How much trash is left to be picked up? Or is it the amount of personal belongings that weren’t broken? Whichever method of … Continued

Keep your home and family safe during the holiday season

Flickering candles. Tiny twinkling lights. The fragrance of fresh-cut pine. A crackling fire in the fireplace. Our senses are alive with the aromas of the holiday season. Most likely you will begin your Christmas decorating soon. We are looking forward to this time of family and friends too, but we also want you to be safe and … Continued

Midwest Living features St. Charles’ Christmas Traditions

St. Charles is no stranger to publicity. After all, we have a vibrant, livable community and a neverending list of activities to keep us busy year round. That, and the quality of our schools, neighborhoods and transit are among the reasons we are proud to be the region’s real estate company. This month’s edition of … Continued

October Market Watch

 RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE STATISTICS County Active Listings Under Contract Sold in October AVG Days on the Market AVG Sales Price AVG $ per sq. feet ST CHARLES       2657 7    months of inventory 156 382 144 183,928 93.03 St Louis     6374 7.65 months of inventory   423 842 133 174,466 96.71 … Continued

Market Watch – September 2011

  MARKET WATCH SEPTEMBER 2011 RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE STATISTICS County Active Listings Under Contract Sold in Sept AVG Days on the Market AVG Sales Price AVG $ per sq. feet ST CHARLES 2763 7.5 months of inventory 475 367 135 174,302 88.56 St Louis 6706 7.6 months of inventory 1139 882 125 182,322 101.40 Jefferson … Continued

Independent Contractors Can Now Be Reclassified As Employees

Have you visited the IRS website lately? It has an updated look, a little more user friendly. Not all pages have been updated, but I am sure they are working on it. Check it out www.irs.gov Last month the IRS offered an Employee Reclassification Agreement. Employers may reclassify independent contractors as employees and limit the … Continued

Selling your home this Halloween season? That can be spooky, but toning down the decorations goes a long way to a quick sale.

And so it begins with Halloween”the holiday season when home decorations, both outdoor and indoor”proliferate through the new year. If you home is on the market now, you can still bring out the decorations, but with some cautions. Curb appeal is the first step to entice buyers through the front door. First impressions alone can … Continued

Putting your yard to bed in the fall means less work next spring

Taking good care of your lawn at the end of the season makes good sense Our lawns and landscaping have taken a beating this summer. Extended high temperatures and no rain have done us no favors. Landscape designer Jeanne Baker has some tips for your Outdoor World you can look ahead to next spring’s renewal. While … Continued

Making Your Home Safe!

Burglar-Proof Your Home! One of the many things we love about our job is helping clients improve the safety of their homes. This month we’ve compiled some safety tips that address more than just electrical issues. We want to help protect your home from burglary. Burglary is a crime of opportunity in which entry often … Continued

Market Watch August 2011

MARKET WATCH AUGUST 2011 RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE STATISTICS County Active Listings Under Contract Sold in August AVG Days on the Market AVG Sales Price AVG $ per sq. feet ST CHARLES       2994 7.6 months of inventory 199 392 135 195,786 98.73 St Louis   7292 8.4 months of inventory   496 1094 … Continued

October is Fire Prevention Month

Why is fire safety so important?  Here are some startling statistics from NFPA: Unlike natural disasters, fires can be prevented. Every 23 seconds, a fire department responds to a fire; every 66 seconds, a fire occurs in a structure; and every 87 seconds, a residential fire strikes. A fire claims a civilian life every 175 … Continued

Be prepared and stock up your disaster kit to stay safe

Here we are in the Midwest, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and we’re planning an outdoor barbeque tonight. Thousands of miles away, folks on the Eastern Seaboard are dodging Hurricane Irene’s wrath of flooding, high winds and property destruction. That has nothing to do with us. Do we have such short memories? … Continued

Thou shall not be a hoarder

Buyers don’t want to see your stuff from 1962. They want to see their stuff in your home now We’ve recovered from last week’s mold-in-the-closet adventure, however we found something else. SuperDry San Diego damage restoration company effectively copes with mold and odor removal. We have too much stuff. Most likely you do too. Realtors … Continued

St. Charles Real Estate Market Watch – June 2011

The state of the retirement real estate market in June 2011 is based on the following information: • The number of retirement communities is 1,732 (up from 1,606 in June 2010). • The average age of retirement communities is 70.5 (up from 70.2 in June 2010), this includes all Adult Community Homes as well. • … Continued

Are mortgage interest rates really ‘historic’ now?

We hear it all the time. Headlines trumpet “mortgage rates at historic lows!” Could this really be true, or is it hype? Curious to find out, we researched mortgage rates way back to 1981 to find out the real story. Which is to say, yes, our current interest rates are historic. Back then, some 30 … Continued

How Long to Keep Personal Records

Keeping and storing financial records is costly. It costs in office supplies such as boxes, folders, and filing cabinets to organize the records. It costs for the extra room the files take up. It costs in labor to develop and maintain the record retention policies and locate old files when necessary. But throwing files away … Continued

THANK YOU SCHNEIDER REAL ESTATE

Just wanted to take this time to say THANKS to SCHNEIDER Real Estate, the 4 owners, Sales Manager, and all of the staff and agents who make SCHNEIDER awesome! I have been at SCHNEIDER since the start of my career, 8 years ago. Yesterday I was honored again as #1 Home Buying & Selling Team (2002,2003,2006-2010)….thanks again … Continued

St Charles Winter Storm Warming Center and 24 Hour Help

Please stay warm and safe during the storm. Here are numbers to local businesses and warming centers: Ameren UE Electrical Outage 800.552.75.83 Mister Sparky24 Hour Electrical Services 314.781.9998 Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Drain Services 24 Hour Plumbing Services 636.587.2440 Matheny Heating and Cooling 24 Hour Heating and Cooling services 314.727.9000 Warming Centers agree to open their … Continued

Repairing Your Credit After a Foreclosure

Repairing your credit after a foreclosure will take some time but is possible. Understanding why your home went into foreclosure and making financial adjustments will go a long way toward buying another home. Enduring a foreclosure on your home is painful and disheartening. Even though the past three years have been tough for many homeowners, … Continued

Seed Catalogs Herald the Beginning of Spring Planting

Make a plan, choose wisely and use native plants for a low-maintenance gardening experience. The seed catalogs begin arriving. Beautiful, verdant pictures of luscious flowers blooming merrily along in sculpted gardens, all framed by well maintained rolling lawns. Leafing through the catalogs is certainly a fine diversion to chase away the gray January clouds and … Continued

A few New Year Reminders

Standard mileage rates, as of January 1, 2011: 51 cents per business mile 19 cents per mile for medical purposes 14 cents per mile for charitable services Update your payroll state unemployment rate;Estimated tax, if not paid before the end of 2010, they are due January 18thTo avoid income tax penalties be sure you have … Continued

Tax Relief Act of 2010

You need to wait to file your 2010 income tax if you are impacted by any of the tax deductions or credits renewed by the Tax Relief Act of 2010, enacted December 17th: The following schedules are changing: Form 1040, Schedule A, itemized deductions; Form 8917, Tuition and Fees deduction; Form 1040, line 23, Educator … Continued

Mortgage Lender

How do you find an honest mortgage lender? Start with personal recommendations, and set up some appointments with certified lenders. Call me today and ask about Shawn Tihen at iBeria Bank. I can recommend him with full confidence. The Grant Hickman Team314.265.1531

It’s 2011 – Join The Grant Hickman Team?!

Have you considered SELLING your Real Estate Business? (book of business) The Grant Hickman Team is ready to do business with you. We are looking for REALTORS who no longer have the time or passion for the business and would like an exit plan. If you are thinking of: Quitting the Business Changing Careers Burnt … Continued

Jan. 2011 Calendar of Events

January-FebruaryBald Eagle viewing and eventsVarious dates and locationsThe eagles return. The Middle Mississippi River Valley is home to the second largest population of bald eagles. Various state agencies and parks, nature and other local organizations and communities celebrate our nation’s symbol with many types of viewing and educational opportunities. Participants can find those activities here. … Continued

A Year-End Thank You to Our Clients

The past 12 months have been a year like no other as we learn to adapt to a different real estate climate and provide our clients with the best service possible. Our charge is to learn new ways to serve our clients, from new government regulations and programs, to enhancing online sites showing off your … Continued

THANK YOU! from The Grant Hickman Team

Just wanted to take this time to send out a personal Thank You to all friends, families, partners and everyone that supports me and The Grant Hickman Team. This past year certainly has been one to remember, not only in real estate, but also for so many families in so many “Life Effecting” ways. From … Continued

Driving During Bad Weather

Living in the Midwest has brought us from warm weather and sunny skies, to cold winds and snow covered streets in a drastic way this year. With the weather changing so rapidly, our friends over at Marquitz Buick, Cadillac, GMC in Troy, Missouri want to provide you with some tips for driving in the snow … Continued

Saint Peters 3 Bed Home FOR SALE

Check out this awesome ranch home in Saint Peters, MO Tucked in tall trees offering loads of privacy along with a gorgeous view this home is beautifully situated! Close to Laurel Park in a well established neighborhood don’t miss checking out this home! The living room is bright and spacious featuring a cozy floor to … Continued

Adopt-A-Family

Heading over to Saint Charles Community College to help set up for Adopt-A-Family Dec 10th-12th. Small way for me to give back to an amazing cause!

How to make Holiday Entertaining Tax Deductible:

Any entertaining you provide must be directly related to the conduct of your business or associated with a directly-related discussion that preceded or followed the meal or entertainment. This means that giving a party to establish goodwill is not enough to make the transaction deductible and people can even hire services as popevents.ca to organize … Continued

UPDATED: Military/Federal Employees First Time Home Buying Credit

***Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a … Continued

Tonight is SCHNEIDER’s xmas party…..can’t wait to hang out with a bunch of realtors….After more thought, maybe I will call in sick 🙂

Playing on my new Apple MacBook Pro….sweet laptop!

Fireplaces Draw Potential Buyers to Your Home

With a few furniture changes and a good cleaning, your fireplace will welcome buyers and make them feel at home As the temperatures drop and our attention turns inward, having a cheery fireplace as the focal point of a room is a soothing experience. And, if you are selling your home during the winter months, … Continued

Non-business Energy Property Credit

Use it before it is gone: A 30 percent credit of what a homeowner spends on eligible energy-saving improvements, up to a maximum tax credit of $1,500 for the combined 2009 and 2010 tax years. The cost of certain high-efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, water heaters and stoves that burn biomass all qualify, along … Continued

1st Time Home Buyer Tips

Pending home sales are up for the second month in a rowFirst-time homebuyers can make the purchase rewarding with careful planning and financial honesty A glimmer of positive movement surfaced in the real estate market this week—¬pending home sales increased for the second straight month. Low interest rates make purchasing a home very attractive now. … Continued

A recent IRS phishing scam: Receiving e-mails with the subject line and content something like:

Subject: LAST NOTICE: Your Federal Tax Payment ID: 010363221 has been rejected.Content:Your Federal Tax Payment ID: 010375163 has been rejected.Return Reason Code R21 – The identification number used in the Company Identification Field is not valid. Please, check the information and refer to Code R21 to get details about your company payment in transaction contacts … Continued

Selling your home during the fall season requires patience

Sprucing up your home’s exterior and curb appeal will go a long way toward welcoming a buyer Buyers and sellers should not be deterred just because fall and early winter are considered slower for real estate sales. People do buy homes now and astute buyers know this is the time to purchase very special deals. … Continued

Pending home sales are up for the second month in a row

First-time homebuyers can make the purchase rewarding with careful planning and financial honesty A glimmer of positive movement surfaced in the real estate market this week—­pending home sales increased for the second straight month. Low interest rates make purchasing a home very attractive now. For first-time homebuyers, the process can be intimidating, but breaking down … Continued

Tax breaks are available to homeowners

Buying a home comes with some tax perks if you’re willing to file the IRS long form April 15 may seem like a long time away, but if you’ve just bought a home, you can make tax time less stressful now. Proper tax planning now may reap deduction benefits next year. Tax breaks are available … Continued

Bathroom renovations top kitchens as the best home investment

Start and end your day in a peaceful bathroom retreat. Curb appeal, updated kitchens and bathrooms are always big draws for potential buyers. Kitchens were traditionally the most common remodel, but this year the bathroom has surged ahead, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders. Homeowners are also avoiding large … Continued

Amendment 3 to stop double taxation will appear on the November ballot

Make sure to vote “yes” to prohibit real estate transfer taxes There’s good news for Missouri homebuyers and sellers as Amendment 3, which if approved, would prohibit double taxation on real estate, will be placed on the November 2 ballot. The initiative had been stalled when the state of Missouri challenged the number of petition … Continued

Welcome home. The fun is just beginning when first-time home buyers move in and personalize their new space.

Furnishing a new home can be expensive. Have enough funds to provide the basics and not experience short-term financial stress. First-time home buyers who took advantage of the $8,000 tax credit program now have the experience of moving into home ownership with all accompanying responsibility and adventure. For many, this will be the first real … Continued

HOPE real estate tax incentive still alive for potential buyers

The Missouri state program offers up to $1,750 in combined tax, energy efficient improvements for new homeowners. The Missouri Housing Development Commission is still offering up to a $1,250 credit in real estate tax benefits for qualified buyers through the Home Ownership Purchase Enhancement (HOPE) program. Earlier this year the commission set aside $15 million … Continued

St. Charles County Calendar of Events

Sunday, August 8Peach FestivalPere Marquette State Park11 a.m.-3 p.m.It’s time for peaches. This annual festival features crafts, food, children’s games, a balloon artist, face painting, a pie eating contest, the largest peach contest, peach drinks and lots of peaches. Take the ferries back to St. Charles County and look for even more peaches.Free Tuesday, August … Continued

O’Fallon, St. Peters are recognized in Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live among small U.S. cities.

Both cities are praised for affordable housing, and as great places to raise families. Our hearty congratulations go out to O’Fallon and St. Peters for being recognized in Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live 2010! Communities in St. Charles County routinely appear on many “Best of…” lists and this time O’Fallon checked in at 26 … Continued

Ceiling fans make life more comfortable year round

Cooling in the summer, warming in the winter, ceiling fans sweep away energy costs The July sizzle is in the air, a blanket of humidity has descended over the metro area and air conditioners are working overtime. One inexpensive solution to help the AC is adding ceiling fans to your home. If you choose an … Continued

July 2010 Calendar of Events

Saturday, July 3 — Sunday, July 4 Fourth of July celebrationFrontier Park
This Independence Day celebration includes fireworks at 9:20 p.m. both nights, food and beverage booths, beer garden, crafts, games, carnival rides, live music on the Jaycee Stage and the Music Tent, parade.Free
For more information call 1-800-366-2427 
Saturday, July 3-Sunday, July 4Fair St. LouisGateway Arch … Continued

Investors

What can purchasing real estate as an investment do for you? Some investors buy properties to fix up and sell immediately, while others have a long-term view and hold the property for many years, using it as additional income. Regardless of your approach, or if you are just beginning to think aboutowning investment property, call … Continued