I just wanted to congratulate my buyer, Steve, on the purchase and closing of your new home.  I wish you many years of happiness here.  Thank you for allowing me to assist you as your Accredited Buyer's Representative.I have been representing home buyers and home sellers in the St Louis Metropolitan Area since 1997. I am a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), and GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute).   Affiliations: Member St Louis Association of Realtors (SLAR), Member Missouri Association of Realtors (MAR), Member National Association of Realtors (NAR), Member Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC), Member Council of Residential Specialists (CRS).   St Louis Real Estate, St Louis Real Estate Agent, St Louis Realtor, St Louis Realty, St. Loui... 10/21/2015

Do you want to be a smart St. Clair buyer or seller? I'm sure you do. No one wants to make dumb buyer or seller mistakes. Here are a few mistakes that sellers and buyers should try their best to avoid, thus also avoiding being a not-so-smart-and-savvy buyer or seller. Dumb Buyer Mistakes: This is not a set-in-stone mistake, but more a lack of planning that could haunt you later--not buying now when prices and interest rates are so low. Don't shop without a firm financing commitment from your lender. Before you start your house hunting, go to your lender and get pre-approved so you'll know how much you will be able to borrow; therefore, you’ll know how much house you can afford. Be careful of low-ball offers. Offers that are very low may be considered an insult by the seller, who then re... 05/02/2012

You've just closed on the sale of your home, but your new house in St. Clair isn't quite ready for you to move into yet. What to do? You might consider getting a POD or two! A POD is a movable storage unit that will be brought to your front door by truck, where it will be unloaded onto your driveway or any nearby area where you and your friends and family can load it with all your household items -- furniture, boxes of "stuff", lawn equipment, bikes, etc. Friends and family don't care to participate? No problem, the POD company will help you find local movers to load your POD for you. Once the POD is loaded -- and you can take your time -- you lock it with your own lock and keep the key. Movers will never enter your POD! What they will do is come to your home when you let them know that... 04/25/2012

Want to sell your St. Clair home for the best price possible and in a timely manner? Of course you do, or you wouldn't have listed it in the first place. Here are 10 great tips for today's home sellers: 1. Hire a Realtor® - Especially in today's market, you need someone who can help you set the best price for your home. You also need someone who will be able to bring in potential buyers, handle contracts, and market to a large audience. A Realtor® can do all these things for you. 2. Tell it Like it Is - Don't try to hide the facts. If your home needs a lot more work than you're willing or able to give it and you'd rather sell, let your agent know. If there's a pest problem, again you have to disclose such things or you could find yourself in trouble when a buyer finds out he's been dupe... 04/18/2012

During the month of March 2012, several local businesses, including Hickinbotham Real Estate, participated in a book give-away at the St. Clair Elementary School. This is an annual program wherein students are given a book which they get to keep. This year's book was Eight Keys to a Better Me, by Dr. William J. Briggs, former President of Limestone College.  Dr. Briggs has spent over 30 years of his life in education and child development.The colorfully illustrated book is meant to enhance a childs personal development by helping them learn appropriate responses to situations they may find themselves in at any time.According to the publisher, Family Traditions of Gastonia, NC, the purpose of Eight Keys to a Better Me is as follows:"Today, more than ever before, the young people of our n... 04/11/2012

I am so proud to announce the recent establishment of The Gladine and Clarence Laubinger, Sr. Memorial Scholarship by my mother, Letha Hickinbotham, Emeritus Director of the ECC Foundation.The $500 endowed scholarship was established through the East Central College Foundation to honor Letha's parents and my grandparents, Gladine (Helling) and Clarence Laubinger, Sr. It can be applied to tuition, fees or books, and will be awarded to a full-time ECC student who was active in FFA during their high school years."I am pleased to be able to help deserving students achieve a college education while honoring my parents' lifelong commitment to agriculture," stated Mrs. Hickinbotham. "This is an investment in capable students who will go on to build successful careers--whatever their major migh... 04/04/2012

When you finally find the St. Clair home of your dreams, make an offer and get an acceptance, it's just the beginning of paying for your new house. Closing costs are generally paid during the time of getting the mortgage for your home or on that final day when you sign all the paperwork to make the mortgage yours! Look for them to be from 3 to 6 percent of the home's price.1. Title Search and Insurance Fees: The title search is generally done by an escrow company, an attorney or a title company, and it ensures that the seller is the legal owner and able to sell the property, as well as verifying that there are no outstanding liens against the property. Title insurance is protection for the lender only (not the buyer or the seller) against any errors made in the title search.2. Appraisal... 03/28/2012

Are you hoping to sell your St. Clair home in a hurry? Well, then you need to know a few staging tricks and how to get the most positive staging affect for your St. Clair home with the least money. Here are a few tips to get you started:1.  First, you'll want to take your own personality out of the home so prospective buyers can visualize how the house will look with their personal items in it. Take down some of the pictures of your relatives and the good times you've had in the past, remove trophies from the mantle, and put away those cute little notes the kids made for you in second grade. Pack them carefully for when you find your new home and want to have them on display again. 2.  Now that you have the personal stuff packed up, it's time to get rid of what you probably think of as ... 03/21/2012

Homeownership, also known as "the great American dream", probably got that name because it does have lots of great things that most people would love to have. Such as:Equity:  While homeownership in St. Clair does have certain big initial costs accompanying it–closing costs, the down payment, inspections, etc.–historically, homes do appreciate in value. Four to six percent a year has been the average in years past, and all while you're getting the use and enjoyment of the residence as your safe haven away from the rest of the world. Relationships:  You may not realize it, but owning your own home makes it more likely that you'll live in it longer and get to know the other people who live around you as well. Other neighborhood features like yards and holiday decorating make it easier to ... 03/14/2012

So your St. Clair house is on the market. Prospective buyers have started coming by to take a look, and you're thinking, "Make me an offer I can't refuse!" Then, lo and behold, your wish comes true, and you get an offer!Now you have to decide what to do with that offer. Do you take the offer, make a counter-offer, or turn it down flat. Here are some things to think about when deciding what to do with an offer:Turning the offer down flat is almost never an option, unless you know for a fact that the buyer will never move from a low-ball offer. However, if you're hesitant to take the offer, ask yourself this important question:  Is this really a low-ball offer, or am I hesitating because of an emotional attachment to the home? If you're looking at all the memories you have in this house, ... 03/07/2012

So you've decided to buy a St. Clair house! How exciting. Just one thing--you don't really have a lot of money saved up for your down payment. Nowadays, most lenders are asking for at least 20 percent down. And don't forget, the more you put down, the less you have to borrow and pay back, so in the long run, a big down payment is a good thing.Here are a few ways you can get the money for your down payment:1.  Open a Savings Account:  Put a little in there every week (or every time you get a paycheck), add things like your Christmas bonus, a big commission check, or the extra $10 you saved this week by making your own lattes, and before you know it, you'll have built up a nest egg to use as a down payment on the St. Clair home of your dreams.2.  Ask Your Relatives:  Of course, we don't a... 02/29/2012

It's true; the real estate market isn't at its peak right now. But you may still be asking yourself, should we sell our St. Clair house? I've put together a few ideas that may give you a better idea of the answer to that age-old question.1. Call your local agent. We have all the statistics for your area including how long homes in your neighborhood are staying on the market before they sell and how much your house is worth in today's market. 2. Find out the value of your St. Clair home. By comparing your home value with the selling prices of similar homes in your area, you will be able to see if you will be losing money if you decide to sell.3. Determine if you have the money to move. Closing costs, home inspections for the house you want to purchase, moving expenses, storage fees and a... 02/22/2012

Yes, it's true. The Scott Hickinbotham Team is moving into the high-tech age by adding QR Codes to our real estate lawn signs. You should begin to see them in the St. Clair area around February 24th. But how do they work and what can they do for you? A QR code (QR stands for Quick Response) is a fast way to get information. In our case, information about a listing. All you need to use the code is a web-enabled cell phone with QR code reader software installed on it. By waving your phone at the QR code image on our signs (I know this sounds a little weird but it's really all you have to do), you will be instantly taken to our website, which has already been optimized for viewing via cell phone. So let's say you're on a house hunting mission in St. Clair, you drive by a home with our lawn... 02/15/2012

Getting ready to move into your new St. Clair home? You'll want to do everything you can to make the move easier, so here are ten tips for a smooth move to St. Clair.1. Before you pack your lamps, remove the bulbs. 2. So you don't have to spend your first night in your new home in the dark, arrange to have your utilities turned on the day BEFORE you move.3. Load area rugs last, so they will come out of the truck first. That way they can be placed on the floor, under the furniture that will be moved in after.4. Pack heavy items in small boxes and light items in large boxes. Try to keep total weight per box under 50 pounds, less if you're doing the moving yourself.5. Got plates? Pack them on their sides, vertically, with newspaper or tissue between each one.6. Move a phone book from your ... 02/08/2012

An escrow account is a pre-funded account to pay off bills on your St. Clair home, such as homeowners insurance and property taxes, that will come due later in the life of your mortgage. When you obtain a mortgage to buy your new home, you will probably be required by your lender to open an escrow account. This means that a neutral third-party will take care of the money put into the escrow account and eventually use it to pay off certain pre-determined debts.As already mentioned, the escrow account will often be used to pay for homeowners' insurance and/or property taxes. How does this work? Once the annual payment for insurance or taxes on your St. Clair home is determined, usually around the time of closing, the total will be divided up into 12 monthly payments, which will usually be... 02/01/2012

If your old water heater is about ready to die of old age or hard usage, it may be time to consider getting a tankless water heater to replace it in your St. Clair home. What is a Tankless Water Heater?A tankless water heater, also sometimes called an "instantaneous water heater" or "demand water heater", heats water only on demand. It does not store heated water like the older units do, thus avoiding multiple reheats of the same water so that hot water is ready when you are.How Does a Tankless Water Heater Work?When the homeowner turns on the hot water tap, cold water travels to the tankless water heater where it is then heated either by electricity or gas, depending on the unit. Depending on the temperature of hot water desired, or the beginning temperature of the cold water, a unit w... 01/25/2012

Right now there are a lot of foreclosed homes on the market. If you're thinking of buying one in the St. Clair area, here are a few tips you might want to consider to make sure it's not going to be a "money pit" in the future. Get a Home Inspection This is great advice even if the home you're planning to purchase isn't a foreclosure. However, if it is a foreclosure, a home inspection by a licensed inspector is an absolute must to evaluate whether this is indeed a good buy for you or will be a continual drain of your funds and a giant headache once the house is yours. As you'll see when you look at our other tips, there are some specialized home inspectors that we also recommend you have check out the home. Turn On the Utilities If the utilities are not on, the only proper way to check t... 01/18/2012

  After being without an Executive Director since the November 2011 resignation of Bob Swank, the St. Clair Area Chamber of Commerce has hired 37-year-old Angela Crawford, who took over her duties as the new Executive Director on January 4. The new Director is from Cuba, MO and has much needed experience in economic development and small business operations.Crawford says of her new appointment, "My vision moving forward, once I have a solid feel for the community, is to partner with the existing business and professional network in St. Clair and the surrounding communities to help create an environment for growth."As project manager for the City of Chesterfield's Community Services and Economic Development Strategic Plan, she has been instrumental in developing and maintaining relations... 01/11/2012

  What is the value of a remodel, update or upgrade to a home that you're planning to sell? In today's real estate market, it's often hard to recoup the money you spend on a remodel. Here are a few things to consider if you're selling your St. Clair home and think maybe some changes will make the sale faster or at a more attractive price. Changing How a Space is UsedIf you're thinking of converting a small bedroom to a grand master bath, be aware that buyers may look at it as losing a bedroom rather than gaining a bathroom. The same thing can happen when converting a bedroom into an office. If prospective buyers don't use computers or work from home, they might prefer that the bedroom remain a bedroom. Converting a garage to a family room may seem like a brilliant move when you want to ... 01/04/2012

We see a lot of "For Sale by Owner" (FSBO) signs out there these days. There are several reasons for this, the main one probably being the idea of saving the commission that a Realtor® will earn by selling your Franklin county home. Keep your eyes on these FSBO signs and you'll soon come to realize, however, that as many as 80 percent of them will eventually opt to hire a real estate agent to sell the home for them. That kind of poor success rate may make you wonder what goes wrong. Here are some of the pitfalls of trying to do an FSBO on your home: Wrong Listing Price Finding the perfect listing price isn't an easy task, even for an experienced Realtor®, so don't be surprised that it's an often impossible task for a homeowner. The right price is the most critical element of selling any... 12/28/2011