2014 Fireworks and Fourth of July Celebrations In & Around Edwardsville, IL The communities in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs love to celebrate the Fourth of July with booming fireworks and all-American picnics, parades and parties. Here's a quick list of some of the sparkling activities in Madison County, IL over the 2014 Independence Day holiday that will help you and your family have a wonderful summer break: Alhambra -- July 4 at 9 p.m. in Township Park Alton -- July 3 at 9:15 p.m. at the Mississippi Riverfront Edwardsville -- July 5 at 9:20 p.m. at the American Legion Park Godfrey -- July 4 at 9:15 p.m. at Glazebrook Community Park Granite City -- July 4 at 9:15 p.m. "Patriots in the Park" at Coolidge Middle School on Nameoki and Fehling roads. Highland -- July 4 in Glick Park at dusk... 07/01/2014

Can you believe the first half of 2013 is already behind us? With six months of activity under our collective belts, it's a great time to see how the real estate market is doing. The following information is for homes located in the Edwardsville School District.  Year to date through the end June 2013, new listings are up 12.61 percent (625 vs. 555) and sold listings for the same time period are up 36.69 percent from 248 to 339.  The average sale price is very stable, down just 1.3 percent from the same period in 2012. The same goes for the list-to-sell ratio, which measures the sales price compared to the final listing price, holding at 95 percent year over year.  Another positive indicator is the average number of days on the market, which dropped by 3.5 percent to 148 in the first si... 07/07/2013

There's exciting news for Edwardsville, IL home buyers and sellers. The nationally known Homes For Heroes program is now available in the Edwardsville area.  As the Homes for Heroes Realtor in the region, I offer real and substantial savings on home purchases and home sales to community Heroes in the following categories: Teachers/Educators Medical Professionals Active Duty Military Veterans Firefighters Law Enforcement Officers EMTs First Responders Homes for Heroes couldn't be easier for Edwardsville area home buyers and sellers. I can add you to the program - or you can go online to HomesForHeroes.com and sign up. That's it. No difficult forms. No red tape. No hassles.  At closing, Heroes will receive a 25 percent rebate on my commission toward the bottom line on their side of the tr... 06/03/2013

People often ask me about the commute from Edwardsville, IL to their jobs in downtown St. Louis or St. Louis County. Is it easy to get to St. Louis? Will I save time living in Edwardsville as opposed to moving to far western suburbs?   I can see the beautiful downtown skyline from Edwardsville, I tell them. Yes, you will save time on your commute. And -- bonus -- you'll enjoy all the benefits of friendly, small town living in Edwardsville, with a major city within easy reach when you want to take advantage of everything it offers. Commute time? About 25 minutes. We are part of the St. Louis metro area, so look to the east for housing opportunities. Edwardsville is home to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and is a lively, sophisticated community with a long history. We're loc... 05/24/2013

Edwardsville, IL:  Homes for Heroes is Here.  Real Savings for Teachers, First Responders, Military and Veterans Today This Memorial Day Weekend presents the perfect opportunity to announce that the Homes for Heroes real estate savings program has come to Edwardsville, Illinois. Service deserves its rewards. That's why Homes for Heroes gives back to men and women who serve our country and our local community.   So, if you're a teacher, medical professional, active duty member of the military, veteran, firefighter, EMT, law enforcement officer or other first responder ready to buy or sell a house, this innovative program is for you. If you're in doubt about whether you're qualified for Homes for Heroes, just ask me.  As the area's Homes for Heroes Realtor affiliate, I get to say "Thank Y... 05/23/2013

Relocating to Edwardsville, IL? I had the great pleasure of helping Pam and Patrick move to Edwardsville this spring.  They were kind enough to send me the following recommendation, which made my day, month and year! RELOCATING TO EDWARDSVILLE? Nancy is probably the most assessible, patient, and personable agent we have ever worked with - AND she's a smart cookie! It doesn't get much better than that when you need an agent to look out for your best interests (whether buying or selling). This gal knows her stuff!!!!!!! We bought a house through Nancy...probably looked at 50 houses in the process...and she stuck with us patiently through the whole process - she made sure certain things were in the contract that in our best interest and made the whole process easy - this is REALLY importan... 04/04/2013

Search Edwardsville Real Estate & Homes for Sale Just Like an Agent  I've added a great new tool to my websites and blogs -- and the best part is I get to share it with my buyers and sellers for FREE. It's called ListingBook and it's a very powerful search engine that lets you get real time information from the MLS that covers my territory here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs and the cities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Troy, Maryville, Collinsville, Granite City, et. al. So, if you're thinking about buying a home -- or selling your home in the near future -- just sign up for a free ListingBook account.   When you use ListingBook, you can control everything about your search -- location, price range, number of bedrooms and so much more -- and you will always have real-time information, p... 10/25/2012

Vote Early, Vote Often in Madison County, IL. I know, make your own joke. This IS the state of Illinois. But seriously, folks. Madison County is opening early voting for the primary and you can take advantage of the convenient system from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3. After all, you don't want a scheduling conflict on election day to keep you from your civic duty, right? (And for those of you without a sense of humor, yes, I understand you can only vote once. Thanks.) Early voting is available at the following locations: Edwardsville: The County Administration Building, 157 N. Main St. Glen Carbon: Village Hall, 151 N. Main St. SIUE: In the MUC -- Morris University Center Maryville: Village Hall, 2520 N. Center St. Collinsville: Collinsville Senior Citizen Center, 420 E. Main St. Troy: City ... 10/20/2012

Nancy, can I decorate for Halloween while my home is for sale? That's recent question from one of my Edwardsville, IL sellers.  My answer?  It depends on what you mean by "decorate." If your idea of seasonal decor is this... ...then I am going to have to say, "NO!"  You are seriously compromising the curb appeal of your very nice house.  And while I share your enthusiasm for Halloween, let's tone it down just this year. But, if your idea of decorating for the fall holidays is more like this... ...then go right ahead. Pumpkins, gourds, fall planters, a welcome sign and a whimsical scarecrow make your home feel warm and homey -- just what a buyer might be looking for in a new place. This decor says you have a sense of humor, you enjoy your home and it tells a buyer that they could live a ... 10/19/2012

Real Estate Market Update for Edwardsville IL The numbers are in for September 2012, so here's a quick look at how things are going in the local housing market in Edwardsville. The current average price for sold homes is $250,397. That's a 23.7 percent increase over September 2011. Good news -- prices are on the rise. Twenty-nine houses sold in Edwardsville during September 2012, up 26 percent from September 2011. So, more houses are selling than at this time last year. An important measure of the health of the housing market, is pending sales -- those homes under contract, but not yet sold. Pending sales in Edwardsville in September 2012 were at 21, up 23.5 percent over the same period in 2011. So, more homes are going under contract. In September 2012, just 253 homes were actively lis... 10/17/2012

Homes for Sale in Edwardsville's Ebbets Field Neighborhood. With street names like Koufax, Piazza, Hershiser and Drysdale, this is clearly a subdivision with a passion for America's pastime -- baseball. Whether you're a ball fan or not, you will fall in love with the luxury homes in this conveniently located subdivision off Goshen Road in Edwardsville, IL. Click this link to see all of the homes currently for sale in Ebbets Field in Edwardsville, IL. If you'd like to see homes for sale in Ebbets Field in person, call me at 618-791-8007 or send an email to Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com. 09/21/2012

Illinois home sales in the second quarter of 2012 were up 23.7 percent over 2011.  That's the latest in a 14-month string of sales increases in the state.  Can you say, "Housing downturn is over?"  I can.  I've been busier since last September than any time since before the recession, and both buyer and seller activity keeps increasing in my primary communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville and Troy. In Madison County as a whole, growth is slower than the statewide figures, which are driven by market activity in Chicagoland.  A total of 667 homes were sold in the second quarter of the year (April - June 2012) in Madison County. That's up, but just 1.2 percent over the second quarter in 2011.  The average sales price rose in a more impressive manner, up 7.6 percen... 09/21/2012

EDISON’S IN EDWARDSVILLE: Bowling, Arcade Games and So Much More If you haven’t been to Edison’s yet, you’re missing the hip, new hangout in Edwardsville. Located along IL-157 about a mile from I-270, the 30,000-square-foot Edison’s offers the latest in bowling themes and technology (think nightclub lounge instead of your dad’s old-school league). Dancing lights, contemporary sofas, bar service, music and giant video screens enhance the lanes. In fact, if you’re a little ADHD, this bowling experience is perfect as you can multitask by taking your turn, watching the game, eating/drinking, listening to your favorite tunes and people watching.  And don’t worry about scoring — the electronics do it for you. While kids are drawn to Edison’s for the flashy state-of-the-art arcade games and la... 09/10/2012

Tell Me Where It Hurts. Right, I'm a Realtor, not a doctor.  But if the thought of buying a new home hurts, I can help stop the agony. You see, my goal is to make the process of buying a new home as painless as possible.  When I work with buyers, we spend a lot of time talking up front about their goals. Why are they buying? When do they want to be in their new home? What are their needs and wants in a new home? Once I understand their goals, I can form a partnership with them and their lender to achieve the best possible solution. Here's what my recent client, Dawn P. said about our buying   experience together: "Nancy is an incredible agent to work with. Not only is she knowledgeable about everything real estate entails, she is great at reading people and knowing how and when to commu... 07/15/2012

Is the Edwardsville Market Picking Up? Ask My Sellers! On Monday of this week, two of my listings went under contract. One has been on the market over the fall and winter waiting for the right buyer to fall in love with it. The other was newly listed and attracted a buyer after only 10 days. Like the groundhog who sees his shadow to predict the arrival of spring, serious buyers started popping up here in Edwardsville and Glen Carbon, Illinois in early February. They were out weeks earlier than usual and they were armed with pre-approval letters and serious intentions. On the other side of the real estate equation, several of my buyers have had homes they were considering go under contract while they were still deliberating. After a series of disappointments, I've had buyers tell me this... 03/15/2012

  Edwardsville Illinois Real Estate Market Report YTD Through August 2011   Year-to-date through August 2011, 202 homes have been sold in Edwardsville, Illinois. That's down 13.3 percent from the 233 homes sold by the end of August in 2010.   Right now, 186 listings are currently under contract, down five percent from pending sales on the books year-to-date in 2010.   The average selling price in Edwardsville through August 2011 is $217,140, just 2.8 percent lower than 2010.   Average days on the market have risen to 170, up 16.5 percent from 2010 when the average house in Edwardsville stayed on the market 146 days.   What does this mean? Fewer homes have sold during the first half of the year in Edwardsville, but pending sales have risen to within five percent of the prior year, a good... 09/30/2011

Edwardsville Illinois Real Estate Market Report YTD Through August 2011 Year-to-date through August 2011, 202 homes have been sold in Edwardsville, Illinois. That's down 13.3 percent from the 233 homes sold by the end of August in 2010. Right now, 186 listings are currently under contract, down five percent from pending sales on the books year-to-date in 2010. The average selling price in Edwardsville through August 2011 is $217,140, just 2.8 percent lower than 2010. Average days on the market have risen to 170, up 16.5 percent from 2010 when the average house in Edwardsville stayed on the market 146 days. What does this mean? Fewer homes have sold during the first half of the year in Edwardsville, but pending sales have risen to within five percent of the prior year, a good sign. The a... 09/05/2011

Some people want a three-car garage in their new home. Others want four bedrooms. Or maybe a big kitchen with granite countertops. But did you ever think about what your fur kids might want? I bet they'd like you to get a house with a fenced back yard. Here's a good place to start the search for a dog-friendly home. If you see something you'd like to look at in person, give me a call at 618-791-8007. Click here for a list of homes for sale in Edwardsville with fenced yards. Click here for a list of homes for sale in Glen Carbon with fenced yards. Click here for a list of homes for sale in Maryville with fenced yards. Click here for a list of homes for sale in Troy with fenced yards. Click here for a list of homes for sale in Collinsville with fenced yards. 09/05/2011

If you'd like to appeal your Madison County, Illinois home's assessment -- that includes homes in Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Troy, Collinsville, Granite City, etc. -- you only have until September 12, 2011 to get the paperwork and supporting materials to the Madison County Board of Review. The Madison County Board of Review requires that homeowners who want to file a complaint must fill out a form listing a wide variety of information about the property in question and also submit supporting documents such as comparable sales, or construction cost, or an appraisal or an operating statement for the last two years for income property. If you've just recently purchased your home, you can include copies of your closing statement showing a value lower than your home's current asse... 08/24/2011

I answered a consumer question from the real estate website Trulia today that has me wondering. The consumer asked for more details about a property here in Edwardsville, Illinois. I searched our MLS (multiple listing service) and, finding nothing, searched the public records in Madison County for that address. That's where I found the property and noted that it had been sold in the last couple of years. I replied that the home was not currently listed for sale in our MLS and told the consumer about the prior sales history.  Here's where the story gets interesting... I received a reply from the consumer asking me where I got that information because the property was HIS and it WAS currently for sale. He had been asking questions on Trulia trying to check out web traffic and activity on ... 08/24/2011