Monday, March 09, 2015

Does street name make a difference when it comes to selling your house?

Main Street a Minus

By Zillow's estimate a home on Main Street loses 44 percent of its value just by dint of the mailing address. As Rascoff noted, common names in general suffer this fate, and Main Street is one of the most common a town can have.

Occupiers everywhere will be pleased to know that Wall Street, while fairly common, tends to have homes worth about 60 percent of the norm. (In fact, after several random searches, it's surprisingly hard not to have property values worth less than normal. One wonders if there's a cluster of gloriously titled neighborhoods out there with their thumbs on the scale.)
So where's all this property value going? Well, it turns out that every developer who named his sun-blasted subdivision "Shady Acres" was actually on to something. Descriptive names like "Lake Front" and "Sunset" often are indicators of high value, as are unusual names and "Ways," "Drives" and "Boulevards."

Homes located on Sunset Way, for example, tend to be about 76 percent more expensive than average while Lake Forest Drive gets an 11 percent bump. Idiosyncratic history buffs can also take heart: homes on Verdun Avenue cost 123 percent more than the national average.

Mark Walker

NMLS#:
Phone: 314-862-0123
Email: everyonebigbend@mimutual.com

Monday, March 02, 2015

Best places to sled in st louis


Art Hill in Forest Park, St. Louis
The first place that always comes to mind!! Through the years, Art Hill – located in front of the St. Louis Art Museum – has become the area's most beloved sledding locale thanks to a slope that is nearly as wide as it is long. The hill is steep enough to be exhilarating but not extreme enough to disqualify younger thrill seekers. Art Hill is located at 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63110.
Bum's Hollow in Blanchette Park, St. Charles
Located at the rear of Blanchette Park, Bum's Hollow is perhaps the most popular sledding destination in St. Charles County. Its bowl shape boasts hills of varying grades and can accommodate hundreds of sledders at a time. Located at 1900 West Randolph St., St. Charles, MO, 63301.
Deer Creek Park, Maplewood
Tucked away next to the small Deer Creek Park in Maplewood is a short-but-steep hill that attracts a lot of local families. Located on the east end of No. Forest Avenue, the hill's impressive grade makes for an exhilaratingly fast ride. The hill is located on the east end of No. Forest Avenue, next to Llocated at 3200 Laclede Station Road, Maplewood, MO, 63143.
Carondelet Park, South St. Louis City
The hill that I always loved as a kid was the one in Carondelet Park that overlooks the railroad tracks - nice steep hill - don't forget to jump off at the bottom before you hit the tracks.  Located at Grand and Holly hills, 63111
Suson Park, South St. Louis CountyThe length of the sledding hill in Suson Park is impressive, but the grade is a little lacking. It is a great choice for younger kids and the faint of heart. Located at 6073 Wells Road, St. Louis, MO, 63128.
Sioux Passage Park, Unincorporated North St. Louis County
The hill just south of the basketball court in this St. Louis County park has been dubbed "The Man Maker" by cross country runners who tackle it at local track meets. But while running up the hill is no picnic, sledding down it is a blast. The hill is long and steep and is usually not very crowded.
Located at 17930 Old Jamestown Rd., Florissant, MO, 63034.
Polar Plunge Tubing Area, Hidden Valley Ski Resort, Wildwood
Hidden Valley Ski Resort will create the snow for Mother Nature. They'll also groom the runs and provide you with use of their carpet lift. For $26 you can tube for 3 hours. Located at 17409 Hidden Valley Drive, Wildwood, MO, 63025. Call the snow report hotline before heading out: 636-938-6999. Polar Plunge usually opens in late December.