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Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

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Homes for Sale in the Historic Leclaire Area of Edwardsville Illinois

11-07-09
Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

Leclaire neighborhood Edwardsville IllinoisWhat started as an innovative company town is now one of the most popular residential neighborhoods in Edwardsville, Illinois.

The Leclaire neighborhood exemplifies the "look" of Edwardsville with its frame or brick homes, many of which were built in the Craftsman style.

The area is always on the radar of potential buyers who ask us to let them know as soon as the neighborhood's properties hit the market.

Here is a list of homes for sale in the historic Leclaire area of Edwardsville.

Founded in 1890 by industrialist N.O. Nelson, the Leclaire area was named for the Frenchman who developed profit sharing and inspired Nelson to create a place where his workers could experience the best possible living and working conditions.

Leclaire neighborhood Edwardsville IllinoisThe model town he built provided easy-to-afford housing, a park for recreation and schools for the workers at Nelson's plant which manufactured plumbing materials. Nelson's vision also encompassed his factory's architecture which was designed to provide natural light and fresh air for the workers -- amenities unheard of at a time when sweatshops were more the norm.

The streets in Leclaire were named for the presidents, writers, social reformers and other famous people who had inspired Nelson's new village. The streets maintain their names and their historic homes today.

Leclaire was incorporated into the city of Edwardsville in the 1930s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

If you would like to know about Edwardsville's Leclaire homes as they come on the market, just sign up for a property manager account on our web site at www.GoshenRealtyGroup.com.

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Homes for Sale On and Around Historic St. Louis Street in Edwardsville

11-07-09
Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

St. Louis Street Edwardsville IllinoisWide, tree-lined and dotted with lovely homes, St. Louis Street marches through the heart of Edwardsville, Illinois and into the hearts of most residents of the Land of Goshen.

Buyers often ask us to keep an eye out for properties as they become available on or near this lovely neighborhood.

Here's a link to properties that are currently for sale on or near historic St. Louis Street.

Originally a farm road, the street was renamed Fairgrounds Road when a long-forgotten agricultural fair site was built on the outskirts of town. Later the thoroughfare became known as St. Louis Street.

Edwardsville began seeing the construction of stately homes along the route as early as the 1850s.

Today, the homes along the street reflect popular architectural styles from the Victorian period through more modern times. You'll see Federal, Queen Anne, Dutch Colonial, Greek Revival and Italianate sharing the neighborhood with a Prairie-style home built just after the turn of the 20th century and more contemporary offerings from Tudor Revival to classic suburban ranches.

Just off St. Louis street, buyers will find a wide range of affordable homes on both the north and south sides of the historic street. Those areas are reflected on the above link as well.

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Goshen Gourmet: So Long Til Spring To Bobby's Frozen Custard

11-07-09
Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

Bobbys Frozen Custard Maryville IL

There's a lot to love about Fall -- gorgeous leaves, blue skies and autumn festivals -- but not so lovable is the annual shuttering of a southwestern Illinois tradition.

So here's the bad news, Custard Lovers: You have just a little more than 24-hours to get to Bobby's Frozen Custard in Maryville, Illinois beforel the iconic treat shop closes for the winter.

Bobby's will shut off the custard machines and the neon lights for the winter at 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, 2009.

You can stop by before then to stock up on quarts of frozen custard, concretes (custard shakes mixed with fruits, candies and toppings for you non-locals), Turtle Sundaes and -- of course -- caramel apples.

If you haven't had a Bobby's caramel apple, you're in for a treat. The crisp and tangy Granny Smith apples are the old-fashiond, hand-dipped kind you just can't find anymore. In fact, the apples are such a hit, Bobby has made a video about the process they use to create the gooey goodness. You can see the caramel apple video here.

Learn more at www.BobbysFrozenCustard.com. Bobby's is located at 2525 North Center Street (Highway 159) in Maryville, IL 62062. (That's between I-70 to the south and I-270 to the north.)

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Sell Your Edwardsville Home With Goshen Realty Group

10-17-09
Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com

We'll get to the house selling thing I mentioned in the headline in a minute, but here's something that's just for fun. I took a Facebook quiz the other day titled, "How Edwardsville are you?"

The result came back as, "Mayor Neibur." It judged me with this statement: "You are Mayor Niebur. You are a lifelong resident of Edwardsville and have served 5 terms as mayor and have done a great deal of good for the city. Unfortunately, you are not as Edwardsville as Preach..."

That made me laugh and made me think about my own list of things that make you truly an Edwardsvillian. It's really a lot more than being born here...or moving here as a toddler...or coming here for college and never leaving as I did. Note that some of the items on this just-for-fun list will only make sense if you're an Edwardsville person "of a certain age." The rest of you are forgiven for being too young.

NANCY'S LIST OF THINGS THAT MAKE YOU AN EDWARDSVILLE PERSON

  • You know how to let pedestrians proceed into a crosswalk without running them down (thanks to on-campus training at SIUE)
  • You understand that trick-or-treating takes place on the night before Halloween so you can go to the Halloween parade on October 31
  • You adore Preach and worry if you don't see him around for a while.
  • You took your first legal drink at The Granery -- at age 19, I might add. (I'll allow Vanzo's as a substitute.)
  • You remember when the LeClaire water tower was actually the Jimi Hendrix water tower.
  • You know that LeClaire was a company town before it was just a neighborhood
  • You're still longing for the long-gone lunch counter at Schwartz Drugs.
  • You met your future spouse by literally stepping on him at the MRF (okay, maybe that was just me)
  • You remember that the Historic Col. Benjamin Stephenson House was previously the TKE frat house
  • You "attended class" at Stagger Inn (or maybe that was just the Mass Comm majors. My husband tells me that the math/comp sci folks hung out at Vanzo's)
  • You're guilty of buying dented, label-less cans for cheap at the old National grocery store during college, thus ensuring that dinner would be a yummy surprise. Sometimes it was ravioli. Sometimes it was dog food, so you had to look for a stray dog
  • You still grab a kid and run to Miner Park when it snows to sled down the amazing hill
  • You held kiddie birthday parties at Cottonwood Bowl, Montclaire Bowl, Pantera's, Cottonwood Cinema or Skate Corral
  • You shopped at the Bargain Barn
  • You and Chimega were on a first name basis
  • You drive through the Bank of Edwardsville on Christmas Eve just to get the huge apples.
  • You remember Peter Station and Whistle Stop
  • You inadvertently stampeded cows in a relative's Edwardsville pasture (again, maybe that was just me)

Feel free to add to the list with your comments. I'm sure there are a lot of things I'm forgetting.

Now back to the important house-selling stuff. If you're looking for a Realtor who really knows the Edwardsville area (and the rest of Madison County, for that matter)...send me a message. It will be fun to recall the good old days together while I fill you in on what's happening in the local real estate market. Or, if you're newer to E'ville or SIUE, I can tell you about some of the history and quirks you may be finding here while we talk about your real estate needs.

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RE/MAX Poll Asks: What Would Help the Real Estate Market Most Right Now

10-15-09
Nancy Milton REALTOR/GRI GoshenRealtyGroup.com
In an on-line poll of it agents and brokers, RE/MAX has asked real estate professionals to weigh in on what would make the most positive difference in the market right now.

The answer that rose very clearly to the top was the creation of a tax credit for all homebuyers. The streamlining of short sales and a renewed tax credit for first-time homebuyers followed as the number two and three suggestions.

Here's the way the poll responses look to date:

Tax credit for all homebuyers 63.37%

Streamlined short sales 17.23%

Renew first-time homebuyer tax credit 12.28%

Foreclosure moratorium 1.19%

Lower interest rates 2.77%

Jumbo loan availability 2.97%

Higher conforming loan limits 0.20%

Keeping in mind that all real estate is local, what would you say about the area in which you live and work? Here in Edwardsville and the rest of St. Louis' Illinois suburbs, foreclosures have not overwhelmed the market. And I have seen a rush in first-time buyers dashing to the November 30 finish line to get the tax credit.

Do you agree with more government intervention in the market? Or, is it time to let market forces act independently? Have you seen an upsurge in buyers over the past couple of months because of the first-time buyer tax credit? Maybe you have a solution that isn't on the list. Let's talk.
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