Jenny4stlouis

As we head into the Holiday Season, things will get busy and we will all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of cooking, gathering and shopping! Before that happens, I want to take a moment to reflect on this past year. I had probably the best year of my real estate career and I have so many people to thank! From all my fantastic clients – many of who I can now call friends, to the support of our office staff and management and to all of you who have referred your friends and family to me. I could never do this without those precious votes of confidence.

The year began with the sale of a home belonging to an elderly parent of a friend of Mike’s. It was like Deja vu all over again for me after moving and selling my own childhood home last year. Years of someone’s life – their interests, travels and household items up for sale before the house could go on the market. The two children overseeing the selling of the home were a little overwhelmed but they persevered and with a bit of assistance from us, had an estate sale, and got the house ready for the market. It sold right away to a young family. It was bittersweet and often a walk down memory lane for the family. But the sale brought needed comfort to their elderly dad and lifted a burden on the two siblings who worked so hard to do right by him. Sadly, their dad passed in October, not completely unexpectedly but sad nonetheless. We were fortunate to be able to celebrate his life with them.

In February, I had just the opposite experience. This time a young man and his now fiancee, reached out to me to find their first home together. These first time homebuyer experiences are uplifting and full of hope and possibility. Its also a chance for me to play the part of parent while not actually being the parent. Although the young man in this case, is like a surrogate son to me as I have known him since he was born and he is friends with my own son. This one was about the circle of life. The little boys that I loved and watched grow up are now starting out in their own adult lives and purchasing a home. They found a cool condo in Lafayette Square…a great starter in a historic city neighborhood. Later this could be a fantastic rental for them as they move up as their family grows.

By summer, my own son – who now lives in Vancouver, WA decided ( with some prodding from his mom) to purchase a home for himself and his girlfriend instead of paying the exorbitant rents that are being charged in the PNW. I was able to refer him to a fellow Coldwell Banker agent up there and with her help they found a darling home, in the same neighborhood they had been renting in. However, the big story here is that I have been working with a client (a buyer/seller) who had a daughter that I knew lived in the Portland area. She and I had discussed this before. However, I did not know her daughter lived in Vancouver as well. When she mentioned her daughter and son in law were transferred to Austin, TX I asked her if they sold a house. Lo and Behold, my son bought her daughter’s house!! We are still talking about it. Amazing story. Such a small world.

Another particularly satisfying story from this year the purchase by my buyers of a home in Strathmore. These buyers were people who were referred to me by a friend in 2015. They were considering a transfer to the St. Louis area at that time for Dr. Buyer’s job. They ended up deciding to stay in Springfield, IL. Last year they reached out again, this time children were enrolled in schools here and the job was accepted. It was wonderful to see how their family had grown in 6 years. The competitive housing market in 2021 caused them to take on a rental for a bit of time, to get them into the area and give them some time to breathe and look around. Happily a great home listed by one of my colleagues came up this year and after some angst with multiple offers, they were able to get under contract and closed! This one is about the power of staying in touch with folks even when they decide NOT to buy right away. I pray for their happiness in this wonderful home.

There are so many other wonderful clients and stories this year…another couple relocating here for her residency were referred to me by one of her colleagues who I sold last year. They just sent me a picture of their new baby boy. I also have two closings this year of new construction that I worked on with my late friend and colleague, Carla Borgard. One has closed…we are awaiting the other soon. I will be sad not to have another deal with her. I’m not sure how I feel about it really. I also have a long time client who I list rentals for. We found the sister of a tenant for his vacant unit!

Another family that I have done multiple deals with various members referred me to another family member after the sudden death of their father. We sold that home after so much work from the family. Hopefully, I’ll be helping those folks find their own places to purchase next year. When a family sends you their own, especially under duress- it’s just a responsibility of the heart! I take them under my wing and help them get on as easily as possible.

I could go on…I am so lucky to know and work with so many wonderful people. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year!

About 2.5 years ago, I started working with a colleague who needed some support with her business, and so I happily took on the partner role with my friend Carla Borgard. I still had my own book of business with Mike, but I agreed to work with Carla in her business as much as she needed me. Carla has been an icon in real estate in St Louis- and most especially in the Town and Country area that she lived in. For over 40 years she was in sales, then management and then back to the sales side – always a top agent!

When I first took my real estate test and passed way back 11 years ago, my manager asked me to help Carla at an open house. It was the very first real estate related thing I ever did. Little did I know I was helping the Queen of Real Estate! She was kind, encouraging and generous with her advice. That first experience made me feel somewhat confident that I could do this job and be good at it. She will never know how much that meant to me. Frankly, I’m not sure I really understood how much it did mean to me at that time.

Not long after that first experience, I was touring a house with the office and she invited me to join her and another group of agents in Old Town St Charles for shopping and lunch. I was getting ready to head to Florida for a vacation and had to pack. She said, “You can pack tonight”, and off we went! We had the best time, I got to know several of the agents in my office and I managed to pack and get off to Florida with no issues. Again, it didn’t register how much that camaraderie would mean to me, but I think she knew. A newbie in this business can easily get discouraged and scared off by the task of starting new business. A large office can be overwhelming. But getting to know a few people at a time helps you to feel you are part of the group and business. She did me a huge favor that day.

After those first experiences, I set out to do the work needed to build my business. It was all consuming and I had slow steady progress. Carla was more of a background player then. A wise mentor in the office and often a strong voice giving us what we needed to hear. “DON’T BE LAZY” was one thing I remember her saying to newer agents. Work every open house you can, phones etc. She was tough but always fair.

Back in 2016 when I got a listing call on a brand new, 2+ million-dollar house that I felt way out of my depth on, I reached out to her and asked her to come on board with me. I needed her expertise and help. When we looked at the property online prior to our listing appointment, she realized that she had sold the lot the home had been built on to the builder. Now the new owner needed to sell. Her efforts and relationship with the builder helped us sell the home to one of the former Cardinals. It was an amazing home and an amazing experience. A roller coaster of a ride but a deal I will always be proud of. It was all due to her guidance.

I write all of this because on August 15 my sweet friend Carla passed away from complications after a surgery. No one expected her to leave us yet and it is shocking to know she is gone. The last couple of weeks have been full of tears and a lot of stories about her from many colleagues and her family. Everyone who knew her, loved her. She was a social butterfly and brought many folks together for lunches, drinks and of course- shopping! I will forever be grateful to her for that first introduction into real estate and the time we spent together these last two plus years. I was learning at the feet of the master, and it was a privilege to do so. Rest in Peace my friend.

As I mentioned in my last post in August – 2021 was a very busy year! Both my business and getting my mom moved here were two of the biggest reasons! But another reason was that we finally finished our basement this year. I say finished…there are still a couple of very small things that we are waiting to have completed but 99.9% is done!

We had been planning this for a while, so we had already figured out our basic layout and picked the materials (flooring type, bar cabinets etc.). In January we ordered furniture to replace what we had in our great room as that furniture was going to go down into the basement. It would take six months to get our new furniture and in January we thought surely by then we would have things done downstairs. LOL. How naive we were. Revelation number one…no rush on anything!

I’ve remodeled three homes in my married life – renovations of kitchens, bathrooms, floors etc. But in all cases, we were redoing what was already there. Changing backsplashes, refacing cabinets, installing new appliances. It’s easy to envision what needs to be done when you already have a template so to speak. Finishing a completely unfinished space is a different animal. Not only do you have to be able to envision what will be -you also have to be very careful about where you place outlets, cabinets, walls etc. You can make serious mistakes if you don’t have electricians and tradesmen who are willing to collaborate a bit with you and give you some advice. They know what code requires and then you work around that. Our project started in earnest in April…4 months after I ordered my new furniture. Revelation number two…building from scratch is harder than a remodel.

The next revelation is how much money must be spent on things that will never be seen.…and believe me it’s a lot. Like 80% of your budget. Let’s start with systems. We replaced our old HVAC, and water heater. Our home warranty company had a wholesale program for HVAC replacement so we would not be using the old R Factor Freon. And while we did save a lot of money with this program, it was still a nice chunk of change. Once the systems were replaced, then plumbers had to come in to dig for piping for a new bathroom. After that we decided to remove a structural post that was in the middle of what would become our family room. Engineers were consulted and new posts were installed after removing old post. I’m glad we did it but damn. I suppose in the grand scheme of things it wasn’t that bad.

Only after all this was done was the framing was able to begin. And can I tell you wood studs were 8+ dollars each! A couple of years ago they were 3.50/each. So, I have a small fortune inside my walls. Lucky me. Framing took a while. Carpenters would come for one day, then half a day, then not at all, then another half day, then another full day. These guys are so busy and help so hard to find, it was unreal. Revelation number four…budget-smudget.

By now it is June. And guess what has arrived? My new furniture! But now we had to move the old furniture down into the storage area of the basement where our washer/dryer were (did I mention we did laundry at a laundromat for a month?) and other things that would be used in the new basement. We wrapped all furniture in plastic wrap and all items went down our stairs with ease. Except one. The larger piece of our sectional was tall and needed to tilt so that it could be taken down the stairs. Mike and our carpenter couldn’t do it. And at this point the whole decor plan was based on this furniture. To say I was upset is putting it mildly. What was happening was the ceilings were tall enough to accommodate the piece but in order to tilt the couch so it could go into the stairwell and down the stairs it had to clear a lower door casing. One evening after this problem arose, I asked Mike to show me what the issue was, so we moved the piece into place – I was inside the half bath where the piece had to tilt in to and Mike was in the stairwell. Luckily it was not a heavy piece- it was also wrapped in plastic and soft and cushy. We needed four inches. I kicked the lower part of the couch towards Mike and slowly (and thankfully) the couch gave enough to clear the doorway and SUCCESS – we got it down. No damage to couch or ceilings. Mike was amazed that we did it. I told him after having two babies…and experiencing something seemingly too large having to exit a certain space…this was easy! Decor plans and marriage were saved. There was much rejoicing and laughter in the Pappas household! Revelation number five…where there is a will (and a determined woman) there is a way.

Once the framing was done, the electrician came in to wire everything. In between all of these trades, the inspectors from St Louis County had to come in and approve all. Plumbing, framing, electrical, etc. Most of our inspectors have been very helpful and easy to work with and if your tradesmen know what they are doing, they will also have an easy time of it. When doing any sort of build from scratch or any change in an existing layout YOU MUST PULL PERMITS! The inspectors make sure things are done correctly and you will not burn your house down or flood it with shoddy work. It also will be filed with the county so any buyer of your home will know the work was done properly. This is revelation number six. Our plumber and Electrician are now pseudo family members! I fed the electrician more than once.

The next (and final divorce causing mistake) was who Mike hired to do the drywall. After all the unseen things were completed (including a lot of insulation) and signed off on by St Louis Co. we hired a drywaller who was very cheap. The guy Mike hired was actually very good, but he was working after his own day job which meant he was very slow. He also hired a guy to help him that did not know what he was doing. The drywall was a mess and we had to hire another company to come in and fix it. The one thing that EVERYONE is going to see – your walls- and my husband chose to go “cheap” on it. We ended up paying what we should have in the first place for an actual drywall company and the walls were saved. Revelation number seven- HIRE COMPANIES THAT DO THEIR TRADE FOR A LIVING NOT PART TIME HANDYMEN. As nice as the guy was, he didn’t have the bandwidth or the help to do our job properly and in a timely manner.

Once drywall was done the flooring and fixtures started to go in and the vision took shape. This was the “fun” stuff. Even this phase took longer as the jobs became less extensive, the carpenters had moved on to bigger jobs and were fitting us in when they had time to do trim work, install doors etc. Same with install of cabinetry (three months lag time) and counters one month for template to be made and install to occur. One door for cabinetry was damaged so waiting for that now. New carpeting was the only smooth and timely order. Infact, I had to postpone them a week because of drywall debacle. Revelation number eight – if you want it to be done for Thanksgiving- plan on Christmas. During Thanksgiving when all my family were here, we had plywood counters instead of quartz. Quartz was installed 12/8.

The final revelation – number 9 is that while this process can be painful and stressful, in the end it’s so worth it. I will use the childbirth analogy again, this is a terrible process but, in the end, you are usually very happy. Now we have a beautiful space for entertaining and nightly binge watching. We’ve also added value and usable square footage to our home. And with the market as it is, have made a good investment in our largest asset. This is something I recommend to all my clients. Keep your homes current and updated. When you do some remodeling, you see what’s going on behind your walls and can head off major issues. So often I see homes that people have lived in for a long time and done nothing to for years and then during a sale, inspections surprise our sellers. Renovations get a better sale price every time. Adding extra living space is also a great move. It adds value to any home. Always consider what you spend vis a vis your homes current value – don’t over improve! But keeping your home current is key.

Our market for selling is still extremely hot. And we anticipate this going into Spring 2022. If you are considering a home sale, now is a great time to do so. And if you want to plan some updates, please reach out…we have tried and tested tradesmen that we are happy to recommend to you. We always appreciate your referrals- it’s the lifeline of our business.

Mike and I wish you and your families a very Happy Holiday Season, Merry Christmas and Happy 2022!

Well, its been a minute….2021 has turned out to be a crazy year and not just for my business! This has been the year that I over saw the sale of my childhood home in Florida – the one my mom has lived in since 1962!! If I thought doing deals for my friends and clients was stressful….multiply this by 10….dealing with a mother that has never bought or sold real estate in her adult life. It’s hard to fathom as most of us buy and sell at least once in our lives and many of us several more than that. It was not only nerve wracking (wanting all to go smoothly for my mom) it was emotional too, selling the family home.

My father and mother built the home in 1962 for $35,000.00. A price and feat that is unimaginable today. Dad was the general contractor and brought in the trades using a design that he got from someone- not sure who. The home was a brick ranch 1710 sq ft., 3 beds 2 baths…living/dining combo, kitchen and family room with a one car attached garage. The house decor went from mid-century modern to the groovy 70’s complete with my bedroom and it’s wicker furniture and blue/green shag carpet. It settled somewhere in the late ’80’s where it stayed until this year.

After my sister and I left home, my dad commandeered my old bedroom as his computer room and den…his man cave so to speak. Mom used the other bedroom as her sewing room and office. They accumulated a lot of stuff and kept it ALL. They were both products of harder times….WWII in Europe where my mom remembered being without shoes and food at times, and my dad, the depression when his own father lost their home because he owed $5000.00! They were frugal and always saved things in case they might need them someday. It was both lucky and unlucky that the day they would need their stuff never came. Lucky for them, unlucky for Mike and I dealing with all of it as we moved her out.

Earlier this year, after 8 years as a widow and one major hurricane that required her replacing the roof, my mom decided to make the move here to St Louis to be closer to family. We had been urging her to make this decision for several years, but as expected she was reluctant to do so. She lived most of her life in Florida in the home she built with my dad. But she began to realize she couldn’t keep up with the care of the home and as she has increasing health concerns, she also realized she needed to be with family. I think being very isolated during COVID last year also drove home the importance of at least having some family to interact with regularly.

In April, Mike and I found an independent living facility (The Fountains of West County) and secured an apartment for her. We then went about the task of furnishing it for her as she didn’t want to move her own old furniture here. In May we drove down and packed her up and separated out the things she wanted to keep. We hired a company to come in and empty/clean the house. We brought her here and a week later Mike and I rented a van, drove down packed the remaining things and over saw the company that cleaned out the house. We left three days later leaving the keys in the lockbox provided by our very wonderful realtor – another Coldwell Banker agent and high school friend of mine and put the home in her hands. She was of course, a rock star and I knew going with another CBanker agent we would be in good hands. The best, actually.

It was a surreal thing to see the home you grew up in empty. But it looked great and we imagined what someone who wanted to update it might do- opening walls, combining rooms, enlarging the master bathroom. We were very lucky to get it under contract within the first week and we closed on July 23, 59 years and 1 day from the July 22, 1962 date that my parents and I (not yet 2 years old) moved in. As my mother said as we were leaving with her in May….now starts the epilogue of my life. Poignant to say the least. A tear or two was shed. It will be odd going down to the beach and not going to my mom’s house. But we are excited that a new family now has stewardship of the home. We are also beyond relieved that she is now a mile away from us.

She’s done remarkably well…settling in with not much fuss. Getting to know people and participating in activities like Bible Study, knitting group and most recently, Casino Night where she won $9800 in chips! LOL. I think we need to take her to Vegas.

Now, you all need to understand, that during all of this I was having the best year of my career! So I’ve been remiss in writing and keeping in touch as I should. There were some weeks I didn’t think I could get it all done. I had more than one wonderful buyer who looked at homes in West County, Labadie, St Charles County, Warren County and Jefferson County as well as more wonderful sellers than I can recount to you all here. You know who you are!

But I came away with some lessons for all of us older folks to keep in mind as far as real estate is concerned —do your adult children a favor….downsize while you can and get rid of extraneous stuff. They will thank you for it. We don’t need it and if the zombie apocalypse does happen, it won’t matter. We are not the sum total of our stuff. Its the memories and relationships that last and are most important. Also, as we age, if we need to move closer to a child, we need to do so while we still have the ability to make the decision ourselves. It was becoming unwise for my mom to be alone. I know many of you have done this already, but for those of you younger folks who are writing the early chapters of your life, keep this in mind.

Now that things have calmed down, I hope to be better about my writing and keeping in touch. As always, I am here for any real estate need you or your friends/family might have. And not just the buying or selling….but the vendors to do updates/repairs and clean outs too when the time comes. Please reach out to me! You and your referrals are the lifeblood of my business and are appreciated more than you can know.

Just this past week, several agents in my office were discussing an extremely frustrating weekend trying to find their buyers a home. Three of the agents all bid on the same home in Chesterfield that was listed for $550K. The home was nicely renovated and in a prime school district and neighborhood. There were 15 offers on this home and the winning bid had to be over $610K which one of our agents had their buyers write for and lost – they came in second! To say our market is a feeding frenzy right now is quite the understatement! The listing agent sent all who made appointments to see this home an email with the seller’s criteria for any offer that would be made. No appraisals, no contingency for financing, waiving building inspections – all demanded before anyone set foot in the home. Unbelievable. A friend of mine has a relative in Toronto, Canada….his home listed for $1.1 Million and was an older bungalow home that had been beautifully renovated. It sold for $200K over ask. Even more unreal. But true and if you are a seller….a huge win. I cannot speak to the market in Toronto….but here in our area, it’s crazy. We are seeing this all over St. Louis and St. Charles Counties and even in the City! See stats below:

Percentage of listings is down in both St. Charles and St. Louis Counties….up slightly in the city. Inventory is at just over a month in all three areas – note: the usual supply is 3-6 months for a balanced market! What’s even more interesting is average sale prices are up 11% in St. Charles, 21% in the city and 24% in St. Louis County….as my story at the beginning of this blog post pointed out! So the story here is if you are thinking of selling there could not be a better time. Sellers basically rule right now!

Buyers are having a bit of a tough time just due to the competition but if you are a buyer that can pay cash, waive financing contingencies, offer no appraisal, and even perhaps scale back inspections (I would not necessarily recommend this) then you definitely have the advantage over other buyers. And interest rates are still historically low so buyers continue to be able to afford more because of this. For first time buyers and those who need financing contingencies and their agents, it can be a difficult road.

Home ownership is still the hallmark of the American Dream and the largest asset that most people have. If you have been thinking of selling for whatever reason, CALL ME! There could not be a better time. And if more people list, there will naturally be more inventory so the pressure for buyers will ease. WIN WIN.

Well…you would think with being in the middle of a lockdown and pandemic one would have more time to write and reflect on things. It’s hard to imagine that it’s been several months since I wrote on this blog!! The good news is, I have been working and keeping rather busy. The bad news is not having social activities and places to go have made me less inclined to write. Anytime I thought about writing, I wanted to rant about something related to lockdowns or masks or government over reach. So I refrained. Those of you who know me personally will know how hard this was for me. 😉

Now it is a new year, and I know many of us are hoping to see the end of the crisis COVID 19 brought us. At this writing a couple of vaccines have been made available and people are starting to take them. I pray that like the flu, this becomes the norm for COVID 19. While we may not dodge getting it completely, the vaccines will help mitigate the severity.

Luckily, real estate has been busy and constant for me. I have three homes closing this month, so starting off the year on a strong note! I suppose no matter what the world dishes out, we all still need a place to live and as our lives evolve, the kind of home we may need can change! The pandemic has also made work at home a thing that is normal for many so the home office or virtual classroom have become more important to home owners/buyers.

Mike and I had an open loft area in our villa which was basically unused space. It looked great – there were bookcases and a couch up there…theoretically a reading area. But we never used it because it was open to the great room below. We enclosed it in late 2018 – before the pandemic – thinking it could double as an extra sleeping area as well as more private office. Now it is Mike’s permanent office space. Who knew?! These are the kinds of things that buyers and sellers are looking for in new homes.

Another great plus for me on the real estate front is a partnership with one of the best agents in the office! Carla Borgard asked me to assist her in her business at the end of last year. While I still keep my own independent business with Mike as a partner (Pappas Properties), I am helping and learning from a real estate master! Ironically, when I first got my license, helping Carla at an open house was one of the first things I did!! She and I worked together on the sale of a high end property in 2016 as well. So 2021 will be a year of partnership that will keep me busy!

As we kick off the New Year, I pray all of you have a wonderful 2021 with health foremost, happiness and lots of travel! And as always, if you or any of your friends or family have a real estate need – don’t hesitate to reach out!

So! It’s been a minute…last I wrote we were in the midst of a stay at home order so we could “flatten the curve” of the dreaded Corona Virus.  We were not able to go to the gym,  get our hair or nails done, go out to eat in a restaurant, or gather in our churches.

Now almost three months later, we are slowly emerging from our homes, going to the gym and out to eat….we have our preferred hair color and the nails of our choice. We can also attend church services (with restrictions).    We are still hearing about COVID cases but luckily the death tolls are down.  It seems much of what we hearing about is the testing being done turning up positive results.   The media are still in a frenzy about cases and death tolls.  That will never change.  Tragedy sells.  Don Henley had a song called “Dirty Laundry” which summed it up pretty well.  I pray things continue to improve!!

I for one am over it.  I will gladly wear a mask when required.  I’m not sure its effective, but if it will help then fine.  But when large scale protests were allowed recently and then a very large scale funeral was allowed when we have not been able to pay our respects to the friends we have lost during this pandemic or attend our church for services,  I felt angry.   Don’t get me wrong….I’m all for allowing church, funerals and peaceful protests…but the same rules must be applied to all.  Not just a few.  What were the government officials in those states/cities thinking?  On the other hand maybe we should all protest – maybe that’s how we get together once again!  I suppose when enough people march in protest there is little officials can do.

The greatest day was my first day back at the salon…there’s something about having my hair cut and colored and professionally styled that makes everything right with the world.  I have yet to go back to get the gel nails…I may not ….we’ll see how long I can hold out on that one!

Going to the gym has been different too…mainly because Gold’s Gym closed all it’s St. Louis locations during the lock down.   Now, I’m going to Club Fitness…it’s a nice gym but all my gym friends are scattering to the various locations around town.   Hopefully, I’ll connect with some of them soon.  Glad to have this back on track…staying home and cooking is not a good combo!

As for real estate, things are actually pretty good….listings are down naturally but we are seeing a delayed “spring market” since the city/county have opened.   Sellers actually have an advantage in the county – low inventory drives prices higher on homes that are in good shape due to multiple offers.   I had two sets of buyers in the midst of all of this and both lost contracts initially due to multiple offers and had to really come in strong on the bids they did win.  But buyers also still have low interest rates that makes buying  advantageous too.   Higher end properties or homes that are very dated and need alot of work will take more time and need proper pricing.  But over all the market is still very strong!   So if you are considering a move- listing now would be great timing!

Lastly, Mike and I – in our pandemic madness- have added a new member of our family.
Meet Roscoe, our 10 week old Basset…we are too old to have an infant.   But he’s adorable so we will keep him.  Zeke is not amused but he is tolerant.  I blame boredom at home and lack of social company to distract me.  Plus, I could only buy so much online before I was referred for an intervention.

Stay well friends…and always reach out to me if you or someone you know needs professional real estate help!  I am also available for referrals if you need work done on your home.  I am happy to help you connect with a contractor should you need one!

 

SO!  How’s everyone holding up during our self imposed imprisonment?   Who could have predicted a month ago that we would all be at home ( hopefully working) and wearing face masks whenever we went out?   Who knew that the last last time we may have seen each other, gone to the gym, out to dinner or to a show would be the last for who knows how long??  Well, here we are….at home….alone.   Now I know what my dog feels like daily.

Don’t get me wrong, I think we needed to be careful and socially distance…and staying at home for me at my age is low key- heavenly!   I’ve learned to bake a great gluten, and wheat free bread (I’ve found I have sensitivity),  cooked more meals than I have in a long time, cleaned out the basement of all of our (so called important) stuff that for almost seven years we haven’t laid eyes on and did the same in our large closet up stairs.   These are all good sides to the month of time out in which we find ourselves.

Another good side….Real Estate both residential and Commercial is considered an essential business by the Dept. of Homeland Security!   So while we are not working in the office, or holding OPEN HOUSES, we are in business.  I actually closed on a house end of March.  Luckily, it was vacant so having inspections and repairs done was easier for all involved.  I also have another home coming onto the market this week…also a vacant home which we just completed some upgrades on.  There is also another listing that has been on the market and has had some decent activity given the climate we are currently in.  One things for sure, people looking right now are serious buyers, so it’s not necessarily a bad time to list!  And once things start to open up one would have a jump on competition.

Down sides….not getting to the gym.  And now I’ve heard my gym is closing permanently!   So many wonderful friends from my years with Vic Tanny/Bally and Gold’s.  I hope to land somewhere else with some of these same folks soon!   I don’t mind walking outside but when the weather’s bad, it’s just not ideal.   And really it’s about the people I see there- fellow fitness fanatics who like to work their jaw muscles as much as their biceps or quads.  I have some lasting friendships from my gym days that mean so much to me.  You know who you are!

Another negative:  Spending too much time on TV/social media.  On one hand technology has allowed us to stay in touch (Zoom meetings, Microsoft office, YouTube church services) but we also stay glued to the computer for information and all you see from the media is Panic.  The sky is falling every day.   I am reminded of the Monty Python and the Holy Grail Skit where folks in a medieval town are told to “Bring out your Dead” and one guy brings out his grandfather who is actually still alive.  The skit was funny.  What we are seeing now is just macabre – the daily death tolls.  How many actually survive this virus?  A lot more than than the media would like you to consider I daresay.  It’s enough to make a person need therapy.  I think the media needs a 30-60 day time out. We would all be better for it.

Downside number three:  On line shopping.  Since we cannot get to the store for clothes, shoes or other non essential household goods, we are clicking to buy on Amazon or some other online outfit.  Perhaps this is a patriotic thing to do, keeping the economy from tanking completely…but it’s dangerous when the packages arrive at the door and you have to explain “what did you order now?” to your husband/wife.   I’m the culprit in our house.  So much so that when an Amazon package came addressed to Mike, we were both confused.   It was a small gift from his niece for his birthday – a bottle of specialty hot sauce.  He was so excited it was for him and not me.  He should embrace the joy of online shopping!

The worst downside of all of this has been no hair salons or nail appointments.  Why these cannot remain open with some rules in place for safety is beyond me.   Mike is looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway and I am more and more like Lily Munster with her gray streak.  Don’t even start on my nails.  I have gel dip nails as my nails are soft and never grow.  I have ordered a gel nail solvent to get them off – my luck it’ll be from China and be toxic.  In the meantime, my hands are looking like “french talons” and not a manicure at all.

In the end, my mom has given me the most perspective on this situation.   She was a child in Europe during WWII.   The German’s took over their home in the village as a headquarters and her family – 9 people- had to flee to the farm house on their land where they all lived for the duration.   I saw this farm house when I visited Greece…it was two rooms and less than 1000 sq ft.  No electricity or plumbing.   They lived in fear of their lives from invasion.   There were days they had no food.   This went on for years.  There are places in the world right now that are dealing with these things even as I write.

While we fear this virus, we have the best of the best in the world working round the clock to figure out therapies and even perhaps a vaccine.  Public and Private Sectors are being brought together to solve problems fast.  We have electricity, running water, television and the ability to interact through computers and phones.  We are not cut off from the world, we are not going hungry and most of us live in pretty nice homes with all the creature comforts.  We can survive bad hair and nails as well as adjusting our workout routine and shopping habits.   And perhaps appreciate one another a little more once we come together once again.

I hope you are all well and healthy.  Should anyone need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me.  I’m happy to help in any way possible.  And if you find your home is not quarantine ready….I’m here to help you find one that is! 

 

 

 

 

 

I know as a real estate agent, I harp on the importance of keeping your home up to date and the importance of updates in getting the best price possible for a home when selling.   Well, I will have you all know, I do put my money where my mouth (or in this case keyboard) is.   We at the Pappas household have been in the throes of a kitchen renovation and it’s been a rather enlightening experience.

First of all, let me say that if you can move out of your house while doing a renovation of your kitchen, then do so.   I DO NOT recommend living in it.   It’s messy and disruptive and you tend to eat out which means eating food that is not really good for you.  And if you’re like me, and don’t do well with chaos, then it’s better to be gone – especially during phase I which is the DEMO.

Demo day is glorified by Chip Gaines on Fixer Upper.   He and the men on his crew love demo day.   They bring in all manner of sledge hammers, jack hammers and crow bars and go to town destroying the home they are going to be renovating.   It happens in about 5 minutes on the show.  I’m here to tell you it’s all lies.

Demo day in our kitchen was started by Mike Pappas with a jackhammer as he took up the stone flooring.   For those of you who know Mike, this should tell you everything you need to know.   It went fairly quickly but of course he didn’t put up proper plastic sheeting to try to protect the rest of the house….so a layer of dust was all through the main floor.  Don’t ask me how I reacted to this.   It’s not printable for polite company.

Phase I continued with the cabinet refacing company ( Mid America Cabinet Refacing who I highly recommend) and they then added to the misery at my house by destroying the tile counter tops and tile back splash.  They also took out a desk and built me a small pantry cabinet and broom closet.  But from here we had no counters, no sink and no working appliances in the house.   All the appliances were in the garage.

To be clear, I wanted all of this to happen.  Seriously.

The next several days were spent constantly vacuuming, dusting and mopping floors.   Not that it made any real difference….we tracked more in from outside and from the subfloor in the kitchen.   I felt a huge sense of sympathy to those living in bombed out buildings around the world.   This must be their reality every day God help them.

One thing that this has driven home though is how much stuff we had in our kitchen cabinets – all piled up in boxes in the dining room and in the basement- and how little we actually need to function on a daily basis.   We had a microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker working in our great room.   We managed like this for two weeks.   The sink was the half bath sink.

Finally, the floor tile guy came.   Which was the beginning of Phase II.  Great right?   Well…when a floor tile guy is laying the floor one cannot walk on it til it dries.   So we had to go out our front door to access the garage where our fridge was just to get food or coffee creamer.   This was all happening when we had some snowy/icy days.  Once the floor was set, then the grout had to go in….again, no walking for at least 24 hours.   I’m sure our poor neighbors got a eyeful of either Mike or I walking outside in our pajama’s to retrieve our morning coffee looking much worse for the wear.   We probably looked like the Walking Dead.

Now…we are on the down side and the “clean side” … Phase III –new counters are in meaning working sink is in….appliances have been cleaned and put back into place.  Back splash has gone in too.   We can cook, prep and wash dishes.  House is alot cleaner.  And there is less profanity being used daily.  But we still cannot put our stuff back into the cabinets until the refacing is completed.  So now we wait for cabinet refacing which will be the finishing touch.

I say this experience has been like childbirth….terrible while it’s happening….but in the end you are so happy that you forget the bad parts and happily do it again later.   I will say a kitchen renovation is particularly disruptive as the kitchen is such an important part of the home.   The hub really.   But I also think this proves the point that it’s a good thing to update – within reason.   We have opted for cabinet refacing twice now, in two different homes.   This is a hugely budget saving option for those who don’t need to change layout at all and who have decent cabinets to begin with.   This is considered a “minor” kitchen renovation in terms of price and this type of renovation brings the most bang for the buck in return.

I’ll let you know when we get to Phase IV – putting everything back where it belongs and taking back the other areas of my home.  By then I will have conveniently forgotten all the mess and misery and I will start planning the next project.

 

Happy New Year everyone!   I pray your holidays were full of love and peace!   It’s always hard to get back in the swing of things after the first of the year….but here we are!   Along with the usual promises for a better diet and more exercise, I am asking you all to help me with a referral or two for the new year!  If you know someone looking to buy or sell or both – send them my way!

You also may have noticed that a month or so ago, I changed the heading picture to my new brand Pappas Properties.   More and more agents are personalizing their branding and even though I am still with the best real estate company in town – Coldwell Banker Gundaker,  I wanted to give my business a personal element.   So far the feed back has been good – my friends and colleagues love the new logo.   I am essentially a small business in St.Louis so I wanted the logo to reflect that.

Another reason I wanted to do this is very shortly, my husband Mike will be taking his real estate license and will be my part time partner.   So keeping his joining me in mind, I wanted the brand to reflect us both, not just me.   Mike will initially just be a support to me as needed.   My business is growing and more and more, I need some assistance so he will be able to fill in where needed.   He will still keep his own business – secretly I know he doesn’t want to have me as a “boss”  😀  so I am okay with that.   But from here on out we will be Pappas Properties, powered by CBGundaker and our logo will be part of all of our correspondence etc.

So back to those referrals….keep them coming in 2020…it’s the heart and soul of my business!  Even if you know someone in another city,  I can refer to a Coldwell Banker agent from here!  This way a person moving to city where they don’t know anyone can have a trusted Coldwell Banker agent assist them and that agent will keep me in the loop so I can make sure they are being properly taken care of.

I have loved meeting and getting to know so many different people through the referrals I have received, it’s a truly enriching experience!

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020!