Don Rogers REALTOR®, CDPE, GRI O'Fallon MO & St Charles County MO homes

Saint Paul is located in the heart of the one of the fastest growing counties in Missouri - St Charles County. This growth is definitely welcomed, and the community strives to maintain the friendly atmosphere of a small town. Saint Paul effectively meshes its beautiful raw surroundings with unique shopping, popular restaurants, business and professional buildings, and modern technology.

The community is located approximately 35 miles west of St Louis, and right off the I70, which makes for a quick drive into St Louis. Not for nothing is the area surrounding Saint Paul known as, "The Crossroads of the Nation."

Just a few minutes from Saint Paul in charming Wentzville is Rotary Park, home to the St Charles County Fair, the Greater St Louis Renaissance Fair and the summer concert series. Twice a year, the city also has a Nostalgic Drag Race and Rod Run where vintage automobiles drive through town on Friday evening and then race each other at the Mid America Raceways.

Saint Paul students receive an excellent, inclusive education. Lindenwood University has a branch in Wentzville focusing on the educational needs of western St Charles County, Warren County and Lincoln County. The University of Missouri at Columbia, approximately 80 miles west of Wentzville, enrolls approximately 6,700 new students each year. St Charles Community College in St Peters offers both credit and non-credit courses. They enroll approximately 8,000 students annually.

Saint Paul is growing rapidly. Neighborhoods reflect homeowners' pride of ownership in a wide range of housing options, from custom 4,000-sq.ft. estate homes and beautiful, well-preserved significant cottages to newer subdivisions and town homes and apartment complexes. New suburban homes range in price from $90,000 to more than $500,000.

The quality of any community depends of the character of its residents. And it is obvious the people of Saint Paul care! The warmth and friendliness of the country combined with the vitality of the city make Saint Paul a great choice for those who won't be satisfied with anything less than the best!

The City of Dardenne Prairie is a new city, just incorporated in 2001 and is a fairly small city, just outside of O Fallon, Missouri. The neighborhoods here are suburban, and peaceful, and it is not unusual to see wildlife ambling across the backyards of residents.

Like the rest of this part of Missouri, Dardenne Prairie experiences all four seasons. Summer comes in full blast and it's not unusual for temperatures to reach up into the upper 90's. Fall is awash in color as the trees are splashed with shades of gold, orange, red and green. Winter is the time to bring out the skis and sleds and enjoy the pristine whiteness of the snow on the meadows.

Housing here tends to be more rural, although there are some sub-divisions with smaller lots. Prices vary widely between neighborhoods. Some new home sub-divisions start at $250,000 and cap in the mid 500's. A nearby golf course has made Dardenne Prairie a very desirable place to live.

The Gateway Arch, built as a monument to President Thomas Jefferson, soars 630 feet high above the Mississippi River as the focal point of St. Louis' love affair with great architecture. The Arch's graceful, stainless-steel curve, has become the international symbol of St. Louis. The monument is celebrated for its simplicity, beauty and enviable position as America's tallest man-made national monument.

Dardenne Prairie is a growing community, and one look at the variety, in housing, in seasons, in big city versus suburban living tells the story! Come and see what area of Dardenne Prairie you wish to lay claim to!

St Charles county housing sales for the first quarter show that the market has slowed from the same period one year ago.

*2007 Residential:                                              *2008 Residential:

Avg. Sales Price:          $217,112                          Ave. Sales Price:          $208,718

Days on Market:              86 days                         Days on Market:               92 days

# of Homes Sold:             995                              # of Home Sold:               718

*2007 Condo/Villas:                                           *2008 Condo/Villas:

Avg. Sales Price:          $146,048                         Avg. Sales Price:          $160,853

Days on Market:               87 days                      Days on Market:               102 days

# of Condos Sold:            192                            # of Condos Sold:             114

The first two months of this year have been slow however, in the month of March we have seen an increase in the number of buyers that are out looking and buying.  If you are a buyer looking for a new home or a first time homebuyer looking to be in a new home soon we have a great inventory of homes to choose from.  Currently in St Charles County there are 576 homes listed for sale ranging in price from a low of $69,900 to a high of $1,300,000 and a median price of $229,950.  If you are looking for a Condo or Villa there are 126 properties currently listed for sale with a sales price from a low of $82,500 to a high of $579,900 and a median price of $145,775. 

If you are a buyer looking to take advantage of this great selection of homes and condos/villas let me suggest that you:

•1.      Get a pre-approval letter from a bank or mortgage lender.  So when you find that perfect home you will be able to show the seller that you are able to purchase their home by submitting the letter pre-approval with your offer.

Just remember that a home is a GREAT long term investment.  It is a place where families are begun and memories are made.  So start your memories today!  Happy house hunting.....

*MLS DATA ON 4/2/08

All REO & foreclosures are not the same......In my post on this topic, dated 3/30/08, I talked about a buyer that was foreclosed on and everyone knew that they shouldn't have bought in the price range that they bought in.  Maybe they could've purchased another home in a lower price range.  I believe that it is part of our agency responsibility to counsel our clients in the buying process.  If we wouldn't let our children over-buy why is it alright to let our clients over-buy?  Fear that the client will go somewhere else? 

Sometimes we do not know that a buyer is over-buying and that we cannot control.  I had two friends last year  that called me after it was too late.  They had refinanced multiple times, cashed out each time and found themselves in all kinds of trouble.  They waited too long for anybody to help them except Ug.  You know that company that buys ugly homes?  Neither one could get what they owed and had to go into foreclosure.

  Let's take a look at another scenario.  Let's consider someone that has been in their home for sometime and then they are faced with health issues and lose of their job.  In this particular circumstance the probability of the homeowner doing a re-finance before they are to deep into trouble and taking the equity out of the home is very high.  They do this more than once or twice and now they are upside down.  Then when all else fails, health issues are still there and no job, they are foreclosed upon.  What do you do in this case?  Does this  happen?  Yes everyday in the real world.  I believe that we as REALTORS® are very compassionate and have empathy on those that something like this would happen to.  I believe that we would like to help if we had only known about it in a timely fashion.  We work everyday helping people sell their homes under normal circumstances but, how do you handle this situation?   

First things First.......Talk with your lender/note holder and let them know that there is a problem, before it becomes a major problem.  One of the things that I have noticed is that the lender would much rather work with you than take the home back in foreclosure.  But they need to know that you are not avoiding them.

Then get help, call a debt counselor, then call a REALTOR® for help in the event that you need to sell your home.  Find out if you can even get what you owe on the home.

Then take action right away do not wait.  Waiting can cause more harm than good in this situation.

Are you thinking about relocating to our fair city or the area? Here is some information on the area. Come for a visit and be prepared to make O Fallon your home.

O Fallon is one of the fastest growing communities in St Charles County, and St Charles County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Although this growth is welcomed, the community continues to maintain the friendly atmosphere of a small town. O Fallon successfully blends its beautiful natural surroundings with unique shopping, popular restaurants, business and professional buildings, and modern technology.

The community is located approximately 35 miles west of St Louis, and right off the I70, which makes for a quick drive into St Louis. Not for nothing is O Fallon known as, "The Crossroads of the Nation."

Just five minutes from O'Fallon in picturesque Wentzville is Rotary Park, home to the St Charles County Fair, the Greater St Louis Renaissance Fair and the summer concert series. Twice a year, the city also has a Nostalgic Drag Race and Rod Run where vintage automobiles drive through town on Friday evening and then race each other at the Mid America Raceways.

O'Fallon students receive an exemplary, comprehensive education. Lindenwood University has a branch in Wentzville focusing on the educational needs of western St Charles County, Warren County and Lincoln County. The University of Missouri at Columbia, approximately 80 miles west of Wentzville, enrolls approximately 6,700 new students each year. St Charles Community College in St Peters offers both credit and non-credit courses. They enroll approximately 8,000 students annually.

O Fallon is home to the River City Rascals, a semi-pro baseball team. St Charles is home to the St Charles Family Center that hosts the River City Rage (football), the St Louis Swarm (basketball), and the St Louis River Otters (hockey). The Ameristar Casino on the Missouri River is also located in St Charles. The Americas Exposition Park in nearby Lake St Louis provides equestrian shows throughout the year.

O Fallon is growing quickly. Neighborhoods reflect homeowners' pride of ownership in a wide range of housing options, from custom 4,000-sq.ft. estate homes and beautiful, well-preserved historic cottages to newer subdivisions and town homes and apartment complexes. The median residential home price* is $189,825 and the median condo/villa home price* is $140,000.

Seasonal changes add to the enchantment of the area too, and there is nothing better than watching the changing colors of the leaves, or enjoying an ice cream on a hot summer day. No matter the season there is always something to do right here in O Fallon!

*mls data on 4/1/08