Grant Hickman

Elias Trace is the newest member of the Grant Hickman Team. He honed his real estate skills at Retail Realty Group, LLC, in Chesterfield, Missouri, and is excited about using his skills to help St. Charles County families buy or sell their home. Because he lives where he works, in St. Peters and St. Charles County, Elias knows this market and community. As do all the members of the Grant Hickman team, he treats his clients with dignity and integrity.

When he's not helping clients with their real estate needs, you'll find Elias cooking, woodworking and following his love of the outdoors. He's also a recent graduate of Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where he earned his bachelor's degree in commercial music.

Meet all of our Experts in Real Estate Services and Systems!

October 2009 Calendar of Events

Saturday, October 3
Augusta Bottoms Beer Festival
Noon - 5 pm
Enjoy tastings, live music, and brewery items for sale plus a commemorative glass.
$25.00 www.augustabottomsbeerfest.com

October 4-October 31
Pumpkin Fantasyland, Centennial Farms, Augusta
10-5 p.m. daily/11-5 p.m. Sunday
The farmstead is turned into "Pumpkin Fantasyland" with a whimsical collection of pumpkin figures dressed as farm folks, storybook characters and aliens. Hundreds of pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and other fall decorations add to the color. Also apple picking and farm market.

Wednesday, October 7
Staying Healthy This Flu Season
6:30-8 p.m.
Progress West HealthCare Center Community Room
How much do you really know about the flu bug? Discuss transmission, symptoms, treatments and who should be vaccinated. Learn the difference between epidemics and pandemics.
Call 636.344.2273 to register.
FREE

Friday, October 9 - Saturday, October 10
Fall Festival and Craft Bazzar in O'Fallon with live music, children's activities, arts, crafts, and Log Cabin Museum tours. At the Civic Park 5-9 pm. Friday, 9am - 4pm Saturday.
FREE

Friday, October 9-Sunday, October 11
Builders Home & Remodeling Show
Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
St. Charles Convention Center
Find what you need for your home. More than 200 exhibitors and special presentations from free antique art appraisals to childrens’ activities and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
FREE

October 9 - October 11
BICENTENNIAL CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVAL
Bicentennial Cultural Heritage Festival
St. Charles
Various locations throughout the city.
During the second weekend in October, St. Charles continues its Bicentennial celebration with a Cultural Heritage Festival based on a series of parties, parades and concerts in local parks. The city's official anniversary weekend will feature a wide-range of fun, free, family-friendly events as follows:
Friday, October 9 in Frontier Park, 500 S. Riverside Drive - an evening event complete with live entertainment, food & beverages will kick-off the Bicentennial along the banks of the Missouri river.
Saturday, October 10 in Blanchette Park, 1900 W. Randolph Street - the St. Charles Bicentennial parade begins at noon with an old-fashioned picnic to be held in the park from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Sunday, October 11 in Wapelhorst Park, 1875 Muegge Road - this afternoon event will have an arts and culture theme featuring local talent. Visitors will also have an opportunity to take historical tours aboard the St. Charles trolley.

FREE

For more information call 636-255-6154 or visit www.stcharlescitymo.gov

Sunday, October 11, 2009
10 am - 5 pm daily
Old Settler Days
Riverside Park, Kampsville, IL

This event on the banks of the Illinois River depicts the life and times of the early Calhoun settlers. Civil War re-enactment, carriage rides, fiddle contest, mountain-man activities, apple-butter making and other period demonstrations, food, crafts, and live entertainment.

FREE

Friday, October 16
NEW! Old Time Radio Mystery Shows
10 a.m.-12 noon
Java G’s Coffeehouse Café, 2031 Old Hwy 94S
Sponsored by the St. Charles Community College and OASIS, learn about the popular radio shows in the 1930s and 1940s, especially mystery shows. Discussion and audio examples
$9/age 50 and over

Friday, October 23 – Saturday, October 24
QUILT & CHURCH TOUR 
10 am - 4 pm
Calhoun County Communities, Brussels, IL

Take a relaxing drive through Calhoun County to see displays of beautiful quilts, exhibits and activities. Visitors can also take part in quilt demonstrations, quilt appraisals, supplies and sales. As a bonus, attendees will be able to take a driving tour of the county to see 20 barn quilts.
$8 in advance, $12 at the door
For more information call 618-576-2293

Friday, October 30
Trick or Treat on Main
3-5 p.m.
Enjoy a safe afternoon of trick or treating at various businesses for costumed children 12 years and younger. Stay for the Halloween Children's Theater in Frontier Park from 5:15-5:45pm. Main Street

Spring and summer may be the traditional time to buy and sell homes, but autumn and the beautiful fall palate could be your time for a successful sale.

Autumn is traditionally a season of recovery and reflection, a time to burrow in after the frantic pace of summer. For sale signs pop up on lawns during spring and summer, as families with children want to get settled before school starts.

But buyers are still out there during the fall season, looking for a good deal. And there’s more good news. A recent survey by Relocation.com found that 50 percent of those surveyed moved to improve their living situation, whether a bigger house or to a better neighborhood. A previous survey in March 2009 indicated the recession played a major part in selling and buying decisions.

Here are some tips to help you get maximum dollars for an autumn sale.

• How your house appears during a drive-by is the first step. Trees have great appeal, especially in the fall with the brilliant red, gold, yellow and green palates showcasing your house. Continue tending to your outside upkeep. Trim back shrubs, remove dead or almost dead annuals and trim dead limbs from trees. Add color with freshly planted annuals like mums, pansies and petunias. Rake leaves, or shovel snow, making a clear path to your home and one that is not fraught with dangers.
• Light and bright on the inside is the way to go. Let abundant sun shine in. Consider replacing heavy drapes with lighter ones to show off your house and avoid that gloomy look.
• Give your potential buyers that cozy feeling. If you have a fireplace, make sure it’s in working order, and have a nice fire burning. The glow really sets off the richness of hardwood floors and offers the viewer an at-home feel. Temperature control is important too. Not too hot and not too cool.
• Decorating is a nice touch, but take it easy on the holiday decorations. Potential buyers are not impressed when they have to work their way through dangling spiders, ghosts, witches and giant turkeys. Prepare you home for the season, certainly, but use some restraint.
• Speaking of spiders, wee little critters do come in your house in the fall, and that’s normal. Be vigilant and eliminate cobwebs and insects. Check corners and closets so that a buyer doesn’t have any unpleasant surprises.
• Be flexible. The housing market is in the recovery stage, but we’re not at the robust stage. Give serious consideration to your price and negotiable points, such as closing costs and inspections.

Rehabbers can combine the loan price and improvement costs in one loan

There are homes out there, just waiting to be “adopted” by a loving family. They may be a bit on the ragged side, down on their luck, but with some tender, loving care, a qualified homebuyer and an FHA 203(k) loan, they’ll be returned to their glory.

We’re talking about foreclosed properties that aren’t in tip top shape, but deserve a chance and are manageable rehabs.

This HUD program, administered through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), is not a new idea. More than 31 years old, the 203(k) is a loan that includes both the purchase price and the rehab price for a qualified buyer to fix up the place. Because of the amount of foreclosed properties now, this type of loan is very attractive for the buyer who sees value at the end and doesn’t mind rolling up his or her sleeves.

There are two types of 203(k) loans–the full deal for major rehabs and really big projects, and the Streamline 203(k) that tops out the rehab budget at $35,000. This is an excellent way to go for properties that need some sprucing up and energy efficient improvements. It’s amazing how far $35,000 will go to transform a home. Qualifying properties include one to four-family structures.

The loans are granted through FHA lenders. When the purchaser is approved, the down payment will be 3.5%. The potential buyer is responsible for working with an approved contractor and designing a bid for the rehab. The bid must be very detailed, including plans, materials, labor, time frame, which can be no more than six months, and an estimated completion value.

This information is necessary to assemble the package and final loan amount. When the project is approved and closed, the buyer will receive up to half the rehab amount to begin work on the house. The final payout comes after the work has been inspected to make sure it conforms to the original plans.

These loans can be more involved that a conventional loan, so it’s best to work with a SCHNEDIER real estate agent who understands the complexities and can recommend a lending institution that is approved to provide the 203(k) loans.

Just think how satisfied you’ll be to rescue a foreclosed property, make a contribution to improving a neighborhood and take part in the housing market recovery.

Check out St. Charles foreclosed homes.

Tuesday, September 15
Your Personal Economic Recovery
7-8 p.m.
Middendorf-Kredell Branch, St. Charles-St. Charles County Library District
Today's economic environment may be one of the most challenging. Take control of your financial situation - and the sooner you act, the better. Learn about the steps that can help prepare you for a potential recovery and keep your financial future on track. Presented by Gary W. Weber, Edward Jones.

Tuesday, September 15
AUDUBON OPEN HOUSE
7 pm to 9 pm
St. Charles Nonprofit Development Center, 425 Spencer Road

Open House presentation by the St. Louis Audubon Society. Refreshments will be served while you wander exhibits, pickup informational materials, and meet the folks that make it happen around the Metro Region. From birding to education to hands-on conservation activities and more.
Free
Info call 314-599-7390

Friday, September 18-Sunday, September 20
MOSAICS MISSOURI FESTIVAL FOR THE ARTS
Friday: 4 pm - 9 pm
Saturday: 11 am - 9 pm
Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm
Historic St. Charles Downtown District

Approximately 125 artists from across the country are selected to come to St. Charles to exhibit and sell their works. Mediums represented include painting, sculpture, jewelry, and many other fine arts. Other activities include A Mentor Me program, an Art for Youth gallery, and a Kids Creation Station. Food and other refreshments are available throughout the festival grounds.
Free
For info: call 636-940-5178 or visit www.stcharlesmosaics.org

September 25 - October 25, 2009

Quilt National
Tuesday-Saturday hours are 10 am - 5 pm
Open until 9 pm on Wednesdays
Sunday hours are 12 pm-4 pm

Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Stree
Quilt National is a biennial, international, juried and judged quilt art competition. Quilt National has showcases the most exciting & innovative trends in the medium and promotes quilt making as what it always has been - an art form. Jurors will select works that represent unique approaches and demonstrate the breadth & diversity of contemporary expressions. An educational lecture series will run in conjunction with the exhibition.
Free

Tuesday, September 29
Escape To Araluen/Ranger’s Apprentice
7 p.m.
Middendorf-Kredell Branch, St. Charles City-County Library
Experience the story, live the action with the Viking Story Pirates of New York City.
Info: Register online at www.youranswerplace.org or call 636 978.7926

Wednesday, September 30
When Should Ms. Daisy Stop Driving?
3-4:30 p.m
Progress West Highway K Medical Building & Urgent Care Center
Designed for the impaired senior driver and their loved ones, this discussion separates fact from fiction on the safety of older drivers. Call 636.344.2273 to register.

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