St Louis Real Estate Exchange

Great beers and stunning holiday sights...

There's truly no better combination!

Now on its 29th year, the renowned Anheuser-Busch holiday lights display has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors for its spectacular holiday experience, once again proving itself as one of St. Louis’ most-beloved holiday destinations.

The season-long activities continue every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. through Jan. 4, 2015. This year’s holiday offerings include:

• Walking Tour– Guests of all ages can soak in the holiday spirit on a self-guided walking tour of the brewery grounds to view dazzling lights along Pestalozzi St. and topping the iconic brewery buildings (complimentary).

• Beer Sampling– Guests age 21 and older can sample their favorite beers along the walking tour route, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Stella Cidre, Shock Top Shockolate and Bud Light Lime Ritas (complimentary).

• S’mores Station– Warm, cozy fire pits for roasting s’mores (s’more kits $2.50 each).

• Biergarten Buffet– A buffet of Biergarten favorites offers a dinner experience surrounded by festive lights and decorations ($10 adults; $8 youth).

• Holiday Cheer Pass– Pose for a souvenir photo in a themed snow globe or with a Budweiser Clydesdale and take home a print plus a commemorative sampling glass ($10).

• The Biergarten Package– Enjoy the best of food and fun with access to The Biergarten Buffet, a commemorative sampling glass, printed photo and s’mores kit ($22.50 adults; $10 youth).

• Fire Pit Fun– Reserve a fire pit for a relaxing, private experience with seating for eight people, eight s’mores kits and wait staff service (3 hours, $75).

• VIP Clydesdale Photo Opportunity– Families or friends can enjoy dinner for four in The Biergarten, a 15-minute private photo session with a Budweiser Clydesdale in the historic Clydesdales stables, two holiday ornaments, and one print and digital copy of their photo – perfect for that holiday card ($200; limited availability on Tuesday, Nov. 25, Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 from 5-7 p.m.)

The walking tour will not be available on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Drive-through tours are welcome Monday through Wednesday evenings until Dec. 31 from dusk until midnight and on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Visitors can enter from Arsenal Street turning onto Seventh Street and then travel along Pestalozzi Street.

More information and special experience tickets available at www.budweisertours.com.

Here are more pictures from the event:

Gorgeous Executive Home w/extensive detailed millwork. Amenities include Large 2 sty. Entry Foyer as well as Two Story Great Room which features a boxed beamed ceiling, light filled windows including a Bay area that overlooks the custom garden. The Chefs Kitchen incorporates custom designed cabinets, high-end Viking & Bosch appliances, Granite counters & good design flow to other rooms. A Hearth room offers a see-thru fireplace, Breakfast area overlooks the custom Baker pool & patio. Dont miss the butler pantry&main floor laundry. This lovely home includes two Master Suites the first of which is located on the main level. Upstairs you will find the second master suite including a spacious sitting room, a mini dry&wet bar area&a luxurious bedroom. The master baths walk in shower is pure luxury. Each bedroom has a private bathroom. The Lower Level offers a media room, fitness area,game room & private entrance. This home offers 3 Garage Spaces and plenty of storage!

500 Oak Valley, Saint Louis, MO 63131

Click here for more photos and information! 500 Oak Valley, Saint Louis, MO 63131

www.StLouisRealEstateExchange.com

There are many young people debating whether they should renew the lease on their apartment or sign a contract to purchase their first home. Based on a recent study, here are two reasons buying a home might make more sense:

Comfortable, easy living awaits you with this wonderful home. Curb appeal is just the beginning. With ample space for entertaining and a huge fenced level lot for the kids, this is a fantastic find! This well cared for 1.5 Style features Four Bedrooms and Two Updated Bathrooms. Amenities include Brick and Vinyl Exterior, enclosed Fascia and Soffits. Leaf Guards on the Gutters, oversized Two Car Garage with Additional Storage. New Windows, 220 Electrical service, Updated Kitchen, Custom Cabinets with a new Microwave. Updated Bathrooms, Updated Lighting and Ceiling Fans, Six Panel Solid Wood Doors & Trim, Newer Carpeting with a Freshly Painted Interior. Don't miss the Finished Lower Level with two Large additional Recreation Rooms. HSA Home Warranty Offered by the Seller. AAA Rated Rockwood Schools This is a great home in a great neighborhood!

20 E Meadow Ballwin, MO 63021

Click here for more photos and information! 20 E Meadow Ballwin, MO 63021

www.StLouisRealEstateExchange.com

CNBC’s Diana Olick recently reported that rents in the residential housing sector continued to rise in 2014. She interviewed Jed Kolko, Chief Economist at Trulia, who revealed:

"Rents are rising because of strong demand that supply hasn't kept up with. Nearly all the new households are renters, and young people moving out of their parents' homes will keep fueling rental demand."

Where are rents headed in 2015?

The question now is where rents will be heading over the next twelve months. In a press release last week, Zillow chief economist Dr. Stan Humphries predicted residential rental prices will continue to climb in 2015:

"Home value appreciation will continue to cool down, from roughly 6 percent now to around 2.5 percent by the end of 2015. But rents will see no such slowdown, and will continue to grow around 3.5 percent annually throughout 2015. As renters' costs keep going up, I expect the allure of fixed mortgage payments and a more stable housing market will entice many more otherwise content renters into the housing market."

However, those potential buyers must make a decision quickly because, as Kolko explains:

“Paying more on rent makes it harder for would-be homebuyers to save for a down payment."

Bottom Line

Ryan Severino, a senior economist at Reis, in Olick’s article stated the obvious:

"Landlords should still be able to push asking rent increases on to their tenants."

If you are thinking about buying a home in 2015 instead of continuing to rent, it probably makes sense.

Let us help!

Source: http://bit.ly/13cNFP6

This immaculate move in ready brick/stone ranch home offers more than you can bargain for. From the split bedroom floor plan to the covered deck with ceiling fan, this home has everything in between. Upon entering the home, you cant help but notice the gleaming hardwood floors and elegant dining room. The great room with woodburning fireplace opens to the large eat in kitchen which offers an abundance of cabinet space, built in planning desk, stainless steel appliances and walkout to the covered deck where you can enjoy your morning coffee! The oversized master suite finished with coffered ceiling and 2 large windows allowing tons of natural sunlight also offers dual vanity sinks, tub and separate shower.With the beautifully landscaped front and back yard plus an oversized 3 car garage, and easy access to Hwy 70, this home won't last long!

1 Doe Valley, O Fallon, MO 63366

Click here for more photos and information! 1 Doe Valley, O Fallon, MO 63366

www.StLouisRealEstateExchange.com

Ask yourself these five questions when choosing a home base.

Visit your potential neighborhood during different hours of the day to get a real sense of it, and you might observe things you missed the first time around. Visit your potential neighborhood during different hours of the day to get a real sense of it, and you might observe things you missed the first time around.

When on the hunt for your brand new digs, you don’t necessarily want to stick to familiar territory. Buying a new home is a big commitment, but it’s also an opportunity to make a change and venture out into a bold, new neighborhood adventure.

How will you know if this new area is really “the one” for you or if it’ll have you putting up a “for sale” sign soon after closing the deal?

1. What do you need to have nearby?

Big Bear Yoga studio owner Annalisa Berns moved from Los Angeles to Big Bear, Calif., four years ago because she had an epiphany during her housing search — not only did she want to live in the mountains, but she also wanted a community that came equipped with a health food store and other yogis. “Those two things were critical to me,” she says.

“Brainstorm some of the things that are important to you,” says Reston, Va.-based Keller Williams Reston realtor Naomi Hattaway. “Do you want to live near a store that carries international foods? Drive around the neighborhoods closest to those stores.”

2. Is walking important to you?

For a lot of people, not having stores or eateries within convenient walking distance is a definite deal-breaker, so you should consider if it’s one for you, too. Several realtors suggest checking out Walk Score with any potential new addresses you collect during your search.

“Walkability index is a biggie for me and my husband,” says avid sailor Dana Greyson. She and her husband factor in commutes when they search for housing back on dry land. “We want to have a place where, when we get home, we don’t have to get back into our car to live our life.”

3. Are you going for a quiet or lively environment?

You may love to hang out and party on with your friends in a certain trendy and happening neighborhood every weekend, but would you necessarily want to buy a home there?

Maybe not. Jenelle Isaacson, owner of Portland, Ore.-based Living Room Realty, sees a lot of folks in the young, hipster city drawn to the “coolest” areas, only to find out the areas don’t exactly match their priorities — or noise-level preference.

“I’ve worked with many clients who are lured to a neighborhood by hip restaurants and coffee shops,” she says. “They want to live where they hang out on weekends, but when it comes to living in these areas, they suddenly find they don’t like the nuisance of so many other people coming to their neighborhood parking, making noise at night. Being in the middle of the party isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

4. Do you want to have friends nearby?

Whether your BFFs are already in the neighborhood or you want to be buddies with your new neighbors, you should take into account the kind of social life you hope to have in your brand new home base. Atlanta-based veteran Carol Gee knew her new community was the one when a neighbor waved to her from across the street as Gee and her husband moved boxes — and they became longtime friends.

“Some people really like to be in an area where their friends are nearby or at least close enough so they’ll come visit,” says New York City real estate specialist Kathleen Perkins.

5. After you’ve done your research, does it seem like a place where you’d want to live?

ParrisIsland.com owner Vera Basilone visited what seemed to be a quiet South Carolina neighborhood during the morning, but upon returning in the afternoon, she realized the area was right in the flight path for the Marine Corps air station. Married to a former Marine, she knew this wouldn’t be the quiet neighborhood she was looking for.

The lesson there? Visit your potential neighborhood during different hours of the day to get a real sense of it, and you might observe things you missed the first time around. You should also check out the crime stats and schools in the area — even if kids aren’t in the picture for you just yet. Those things can tell you a lot about the community under the surface.

See more at: http://www.trulia.com/blog/tell-youll-love-new-neighborhood/#sthash.cmXok21Y.dpuf

With rising inventory and modest expectations of demand growth,  REALTORS®  responding  to the  October 2014 survey expected home prices to increase modestly in the next 12 months, according to data gathered from the October 2014 REALTORS® Confidence Index Survey:  http://www.realtor.org/reports/realtors-confidence-index[1]. Local conditions vary with expectations anchored on factors such as the level of inventory, the state of the local job market, and credit conditions.

The median expected price increase is about 3 percent.  The map shows the median expected price change in the next 12 months based on the August – October 2014 surveys[2]. No state had a median expected price growth above 5 percent.  States  with the most upbeat price expectations (orange) include California, Washington, North Dakota, Texas, Florida, Georgia, the District of Columbia, and Massachusetts–states with strong housing markets, job growth, and economies.

[2] In generating the median price expectation at the state level, we use data for the last three surveys to have close to 30 observations. Small states such as AK,ND, SD, MT, VT, WY, WV, DE, and the D.C. may have less than 30 observations.

Source: http://bit.ly/1yJ9L7l

www.StLouisRealEstateExchange.com

Michael Nettemeyer

With over 2800 square feet of living space, this completely renovated home offers more than you can bargain for. The main level boasts gleaming hardwood floors throughout, an updated eat in kitchen with plenty of custom cabinetry, granite counter tops, newer appliances, separate family and dining rooms and much more! On the second level is where you will find the over sized Master Suite with 2 large windows allowing tons of natural sunlight through! The second level is also home to an additional bedroom, full bathroom and laundry room for your convenience. The 3rd level is partially finished with one bedroom and loft just waiting for your finishing touches! The large, fenced backyard is perfect for entertaining and those summer BBQ's! This home is one of a kind and was renovated with attention to detail. It wont last long at this price! Make your appointment today!

2870 Texas, Saint Louis, MO 63118

Click here for more photos and information! 2870 Texas, Saint Louis, MO 63118

St Louis Real Estate Exchange | Michael Nettemeyer

www.StLouisRealEstateExchange.com

In a recent video update on the housing market, Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, stated that with both mortgage interest rates and home prices projected to increase in 2015 buying now makes sense.

“If you are planning to buy a home in the next year, it’s better to do it sooner rather than later.”

Here are the latest mortgage interest rate projections from four major housing entities: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

Thinking of Selling & Moving Up?

This advice isn’t limited to just the first-time buyer. If you are considering moving up to the home your family has always wanted, waiting also makes no sense.