Wednesday, November 19, 2008

South Side Tower-AKA-South Side National Bank Building


Most people do not know that there are condos in the South Side National Bank Building, but there are. Saved from demolition this building has seen a re-birth as a great mixed use space. There are 13 condos total in the building, of those 8 are sold. With only 2 units per floor and the residential units beginning on floor 3 you have tons of great views. The building is a National Historic Landmark that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. All of the remaining units are 2 bedroom and 1 bath. Currently, the prices range from $166,900-$199,900 depending on elevation and if it has an east or west facing view. There will be a scooter ride there this weekend on Sunday November 23,2008 that starting at 3pm (registration beginning at 1). I hope to see you there!


Take a look at these links for more information on South Side Tower:













Wednesday, November 12, 2008

New wine bar coming to Shaw


Over the weekend my husband and I visited a little place on De Mun called "Sasha's". Nestled between Kaldis Coffee and Jimmy's Cafe on the Park it felt like the perfect hiding spot. Our anniversary was last week, and I was wanting a low key place to sit, drink, eat cheese and catch up with my hubby. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

The girl that was working the bar turned out to be an old friend from middle school. I was thrilled to see her and happy to hear she was following her bliss and traveling. She was able to suggest some great wines that fit both of our tastes (which are totally different) and provide us with laid back, but excellent service. We ordered several cold plates. I highly suggest the around the world cheese plate, yummy. Later we ordered entrees and crepes. None of the choices we made disappointed. I am in love with the Nutella and strawberry crepe.

As we were leaving I told the bartender I would write about the food, atmosphere, and drink in my blog. He reminded me to mention that the new location in Shaw will be open in a couple of weeks. I am SUPER STOKED...Shaw needs a good injection of excellent hang out places. Be on the lookout for the new place on the corner of Shaw and Thurman. I am guaranteed to be in there for a long lunch. I am very optiomistic that Sasha's can mimic what they have at their first location at their new one.Hopefully, the people of the city will find great value in this addition to their neighborhood.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Saints, Cats, and Feng Shui to sell a house? Oh My!


Recently I have had quite a few questions about what can be done to make a house sell more quickly. It is not a secret that listings are sitting a while longer than they used to. There are the obvious things that I always tell people about; staging, price, improvements, marketing, patience. There are tons of things that can really help a house sell. Tricks and tips that I had never thought of until I entered real estate (I am going to post another blog about those more practical tips shortly), like unplugging all your different scented plug-ins so you quit confusing people’s senses. However, as clever as those tips are sometimes it just isn’t fast enough. Which leads us to this…

A couple months back I went into the office and our broker asked me what I knew about Saint Joseph and selling a house. He must have asked me because I am the office mystic, right? No, it was because I watch “Flipping Out” on Bravo about the neurotic man with OCD that flips houses and his lid. Anyways, Jeff uses a statue of Saint Joseph to help him sell his homes and I guess my broker had seen it too. Admittedly, this was not the first time I had heard about Saint Joe and his abilities. My mother had actually used him to sell her house and I was in the habit of carrying small versions in my car in case a client ever asked me about one. No one ever asked, and not being one to force my mojo on someone I never offered. However, now I am getting questions about him on a semi regular basis because Saint Joseph is getting tons of press. It got me wondering about what else people may try and what other mystical things were popular to sell a home. I came up with tons, but narrowed it down to three that weren’t so weird.

The Methods-Saint Joseph:You can buy a “Saint Joseph Sell My House Kit” at the Catholic supply, eBay, or about 100 other places on the web. There are tons of directions about how to use him the most popular being; Dig a hole in the front yard next to the “For Sale” sign large enough to fit your statue in , place him upside down on his head facing the house, cover him up, and dig him up when the house sells.Here is a cool article Saint Joseph and home sales:http://www.aroundhawaii.com/business/real_estate/2007-03_can_st._joseph_sell_your_home.html

Places to buy:http://www.goodfortuneonline.net/http://stjosephstatue.com/

Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat):This one is also a statue of a revered “saint” of sorts. Maneki Neko is a Japanese patron of good luck & fortune in business, love, academics, you name it. Have you ever been into the Chinese food restaurant and seen those cat statues with the waving paws? That is a Maneki Neko, or beckoning cat. Supposedly, if you get a Maneki Neko with a left upraised paw he will beckon visitors to wherever you place him. The best spot to place him is facing the front door. Asia is mad for Meneki Neko and he is starting to catch on here in the states. Here is a good site about Meneki Neko:http://www.namaii.com/manekineko/legend-of-maneki-neko.html

Place to buy:http://www.ebay.com/

Feng Shui:Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of placement. The object is to place things to maximize energy flow. It can get pretty complicated to rearrange a whole house and just like staging there are experts in that field to come do it for you. The tip that I am talking about here is really simple. I read it somewhere in a book that I can’t find now. Take a piece of metal from the kitchen ,dirt from the yard, put it all in a red envelope and cast into a fast flowing river. That shouldn’t be so hard with all the rivers around St. Louis. You can just hire someone to really get you straightened out but it can be expensive.I figure it this way, "It can't hurt". Good Luck!

Sugar Loaf Mound: For Sale


Circa: Prehistoric. You won't believe the view and history that comes with this absolutely unique property! Sugar Loaf Mound is truly a one-of-a-kind river front property, offered to a new owner for the first time in over half a century! With St. Louis known as Mound City, this property includes what's thought to be the last remaining prehistoric Native American mound in St. Louis overlooking the mighty Mississippi River, speculated to be part of the Cahokia civilization. The mound itself was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The property possesses some of the most spectacular and active views of the Mississippi River. The approx .65 acre lot includes a 900 sq ft 2 bed/2 bath brick bungalow nestled into the northern side of the mound (handicapped elevator included). Home sold AS-IS. Riverfront living is a rare offering in St. Louis, so if you're passionate about history & awesome river views, then hurry to Sugar Loaf Mound while the opportunity still exists!

I have fallen in love with doing "quirky" real estate. I want to list and sell historic, vintage, green or the just plain weird. Currently I have 2 properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places and have found that the people that choose to call these places home are just as interesting as the places themselves. These properties do take a little bit more time and attention than normal but it is just so cool. I have had the pleasure of talking with so many people that I would not normally run into in "normal" real estate.

The Sugar Loaf Mound House will be open this Sunday November 9, 2008 from 12-4. The house is located st 4420 Ohio St. Saint Louis, MO. I hope to see you there.
Links for more information about the mound: