World, meet
2637 Roseland Terr. Maplewood, MO 63143. My
Chupacabra (more on that in a bit), one of favorite house of all time and my personal adversary for the last 90 days. Marketing this home to the masses has proven to be a bit of a challenge. No, it isn't the paint. The owner hasn't deferred maintenance, there ARE updates galore, there IS plenty of parking, the systems are all updated & the grounds are beautifully landscaped. The challenge has come as a result of potential purchasers' and their real estate agents' perceptions about the available housing stock in Maplewood.
Maplewood is quickly becoming one of the most sought after inner-ring(inside the 170 Loop) suburbs in St. Louis' Central Corridor. Its charming main street,
superior walk-ability,
award winning restaurants, historic architecture, central location and competitive pricing (think Clayton, Richmond Heights and Webster)is all extremely attractive to today's buyer. Not to mention, the
City of Maplewood is extremely active in promoting and strengthening the community. Yay, Maplewood!
The housing stock is beautiful, and highly irregular. The variations in style and size encourage the inclusion of all types of people, from different economic backgrounds, with various tastes AND add to the overall visual interest of the neighborhood. There are small bungalows, 2 story traditional houses, Victorian houses, frame houses, brick houses, yellow brick houses, historic homes, newer infill and more housing styles I forgot to mention here. Literally, something and somewhere for everyone. However, a lot of the houses being historic do have a slightly antiquated floor plan and can be limiting on square footage, and lot size. I would say that the majority of houses in Maplewood never exceed a square footage of 2,400.
Which, now brings us to the Roseland home. Why would anyone have a problem finding a buyer for a nearly perfect house,located in the heart of all the awesomeness? The answer is, I doubt many people (long time residents included) even know that a house this size, this awesome, this rich with history (
it was originally owned by the founder of Maplewood), with ROCKSTAR Parking, and such an expansive yard exists in Maplewood. In other words, "Not everyone wants to hunt a Chupacabra". Meaning, not everyone is prepared to seek out something that they believe has only existed in their mind's eye. I call houses of exceptional character, Chupacabras (creatures of legend). Many people have heard about one, dreamed one could exist, know someone who has seen one, but very few have laid their eyes on one themselves. Get it? I mean most people say, "I saw a lot of houses like that in BLAH" and they head there. Very few say, "I want to love where I live, and I will seek out the perfect house". Very few people will actually hunt the Chupacabra for fear of disappointment.
Then I realized, maybe my marketing was the problem. I was marketing to the masses, to the largest possible audience (your agent should be doing this). When I should have been focusing on the individuals, the passionate, the history buffs, the seekers and the people who want to live what they love.
So, if you know someone who may have been hunting, and they would
LOVE a house like THIS. Could you please introduce them? You could be responsible for helping one person
solve their own personal Chupacabra mystery.
For questions concerning 2637 Roseland, or Chupacabras please contact:
Leigh Maibes, RE/MAX Results
lmaibes@gmail.com
314-324-3322
