This is an update to a post from last fall noting that the St. Louis area's top sushi restaurant was about to open an outpost in Edwardsville.
I am happy to report that Wasabi is now open in Edwardsville and the stylish space located across from the park and Library to the west and St. Boniface to the north, is filled with long-time sushi lovers and those new to the cuisine.
Tonight two of the tables were occupied by members of my family who made separate plans and ended up with the same idea. On one side of the room, our daugter Katie and friends Jenny and Katie K. were enjoying Okonomi Aki (an egg-based pancake dish somewhat similar to a fritatta).
My husband and I started our meal with Gyoza, a Japanese version of potstickers including a sauce with toasted sesame seeds. Our sushi order was preceded by a bowl of miso soup -- a mild seaweed broth with bits of tofu, mushrooms and more -- and a small salad with a sweet/spicy dressing that tasted of oranges and horseradish. We enjoyed a variety of rolls containing favorites including crab, spicy tuna, deep fried scallops, shrimp and both smoked and barbecued eel (called Unagi in Japanese). The most picturesque roll was a Caterpillar with tempura fried shrimp serving as charming antennae.
A full selection of sake, Japanese beers and interesting non-alcoholic choices like Plum Iced Tea complement the food. And I had it on good authority from Katie K that the Red Bean Ice Cream was delicious.
You can learn more about Wasabi from Sauce Magazine.
If you'd like to talk local dining or real estate, give me a call at 618-791-8007 or drop a line to Send2Nancy@Charter.net. Want to live near this great restaurant and many others? You can learn more about homes for sale in the Edwardsville area on my web site at www.JustDuckyHomes.com.
This week my real estate partner, Kristina, and I helped our customers close on an investment property at 407 Sanner in Edwardsville, Illinois.
They purchased a cute two-bedroom bungalow is located not far from N.O. Nelson grade school and Hoppe Park. It has refinished wood floors, new paint and new tile in the kitchen. A roomy two-car detached garage is located behind the house and updated landscaping provides curb appeal in the front.
Congratulations to the new owners. It was a pleasure helping you locate and negotiate for your property.
Are you thinking about adding a rental property to your investment portfolio? Call me at 618-791-8007 or drop an e-mail to Send2Nancy@Charter.net. We can discuss your real estate goals and how to reach them in 2009.
Are you a wanna-be pinball wizard? Then imagine having your own arcade where you could play the silver ball for hours on some of the world's top-rated games.
That's what you'll find at CP Pinball in South Roxana, Illinois. The brick building, a former U.S. Post Office, sits in the shadow of the Wood River, Illinois area's massive oil refineries. Inside, visitors will find rows of blinking and flashing machines all set to free play. Pinball experts' favorites on site include Theatre of Magic, Medieval Magic, Indiana Jones, Wheel of Fortune, The Simpsons, Pirates of the Caribbean, Whitewater, Lord of the Rings, Creature from the Black Lagoon and many others.
If you're moving to the area, give me a call and I'll tell you more about CP Pinball and about some great homes in the Madison County area that have game rooms just waiting for you and your own arcade.
Admission is just $10 and the arcade is open from 6 p.m. until midnight on most Friday and Saturday nights.
Chuck Sanders is the wizard behind the arcade. You can learn more about him and his passion for pinball from the YouTube video below.
If doors could talk, what do you think your home's front entrance would say?
Would it say, "Hi, Boo Radley's not here right now, but you can wait right there under the cobwebs."
Or would it say, "I'm a clean and stylish owner who cares deeply about my home because even the entrance is gorgeous."
I suspect most front doors here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs of Madison and St. Clair counties actually fall somewhere in between scary and scintillating. But if you're planning to get your home ready for the market, you'll want to try to get closer to one than the other.
Here are a few door-decor tips:
Give some of these ideas a try and soon you'll be saying goodbye to your old door (with the house attached) and hello to your next place.
"Five or 10 years from now, when the financial crisis has ended and housing prices are up smartly once more, we will look in the rearview mirror and realize that we missed a golden age for first-time home buyers."
That's the word from The New York Times today. In a piece by Ron Lieber titled, "It May Be Time to Think About Buying a House," the writer cautions that buyers may "kick themselves" for not getting in on the market now when prices seem to be at or near the bottom. (Read the full story here.)
Here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs of Madison and St. Clair Counties, my partner Kristina and I have been working with first-time buyers who have been smart enough to jump in while prices are low and inventory is still high, providing them with more choice and more leverage in negotiations. We have five closings taking place within a six week period that began in mid-November and continues through the end of December.
If you're a first-time or move-up buyer sitting on the fence, read the Times' story and give us a call. We can help you through our five easy steps to home ownership, from loan pre-qualification all the way through to closing.
You can reach us through our web site at www.JustDuckyHomes.com or call Nancy at 618-791-8007 or Kristina at 618-917-0775.
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Helping sellers & buyers in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs with their residential & investment real estate needs. Specializing in Edwardsville, SIUE, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville and Troy, IL.
Hi, my name is Nancy Milton and I am a Realtor in Edwardsville, Illinois, the seat of Madison County in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs.
Are you moving up? Downsizing? Dreaming of a first home? Perhaps you're searching for an investment property that will work as hard as you do.
Whether you're looking for a sophisticated executive home, a rural horse farm or a cozy starter cottage, together we can find the right place for you to call your own.
Visit us at www.GoshenRealtyGroup.com, call or text me at 618-791-8007 or e-mail Send2Nancy@Charter.net for personal attention and assistance with your search. Your time is valuable, so I promise to listen carefully to your needs and find properties that offer everything you want.
As a lifelong resident of St. Louis' Illinois suburbs, I know the cities, neighborhoods and streets of this vibrant and important part of the metropolitan area. 
From the lively county seat of Edwardsville and Southern Illinois University to Glen Carbon -- named one of Money Magazine's Best Places to Live -- Collinsville, Maryville, Alton, Troy and Granite City, the cities and villages of Madison County offer small town community life just minutes away from the big city amenities of St. Louis.
Bethalto, East Alton and Wood River are seeing new interest thanks to the I-255 extension and industrial expansion. In St. Clair County, fast-growing hot spots include O'Fallon, Shiloh and Swansea. Fairview Heights is a shopper's dream and Belleville presents historic properties and a vibrant downtown. Looking for a country lifestyle? Southern Macoupin County may have what you need.
Imagine a close commute to your Illinois workplace or a shorter drive to your St. Louis city or county job than co-workers who live in West County and St. Charles. The Illinois communities we serve are convenient to I-270, I-70, I-255, I-64 and I-55.
Ask me about the Five Easy Steps to Owning a Home of Your Own. Together we can turn your home buying dreams into a reality. And between now and December 1, 2009, don't forget that first-time buyers who close their purchase by that date are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $8000.
BUYER TESTIMONIALS
Nancy & Kristina: "It only takes a moment to say thank you, but your help and thoughtfulness will be remembered for a long time. I don't know if we'd have made it through the home selecting and the buying process without your help."
--Kathy & Bob
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"I just wanted to personally thank you for making our experience as a first time buyer go so smoothly. I has no idea what I was doing...the only thing that I was positive about was that I wanted to live in Collinsville. Doing business with you made this a breeze and stress free. You are a pleasure to work with I will be sending anyone that is in the house buying market your way!
-- Danyale
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Selling your home in a challenging market takes some special skills. Let us market your home to a broad variety of potential buyers. We can talk with you about pricing strategies, competition, days on the market and the condition of your home.
We don't just want to list your home...we want to sell it.
With our Internet presence, a network of advertising and our personal marketing skills, Goshen Realty Group can work to get the best possible price for your property in current market conditions.
If you're considering selling your home, you know that you have a lot invested in your family's property -- your time, your money and your emotions.
Selling or exchanging an investment property? Maybe it's time to make sure your cash on cash return is as strong as it should be by listing your current investments and locating new ones.
It's critical to make the right decisions when you decide to sell. Which Realtor is right for you? And which agent will work hard on your behalf and be a true partner in your sale?
The answers to your selling questions? Goshen Realty Group.
Homeowners, ask for a free analysis to help you determine the right price for your home in today's real estate market. A house that lists at the right price will have an immediate advantage over the competition. Add aggressive Internet marketing to the mix and you have the perfect combination to get your property sold.
Investors, we can look at the return your properties are providing and give you the information you need to make smart sale, purchase and exchange decisions.
Once we've listed your property, our extensive marketing and advertising network will go to work to attract qualified buyers. And our systems will give those buyers access to instant information about listed properties like yours.
We will work with you on every aspect of your sale, from introducing your property to the brokers and agents in the real estate community and placing your listing in the Multiple Listing Service to holding public open houses and creating a customized advertising and marketing plan that works.
Learn more from a personal listing presentation. Call or text me at 618-791-8007 or send an e-mail to Send2Nancy@Charter.net to schedule an appointment today. We don't take every listing, but every listing we take, we take to sell.
SELLER TESTIMONIALS
Nancy & Kristina: This is a long-overdue letter to tell you how much my family and I appreciate all your hard work to sell our home. From our first meeting with Nancy to look at purchasing a home to our last interaction to say "You sold your house!", the two of you have been professional, courteous, empathetic, diligent, humorous, and just flat-out awesome!
Between the two of you, every single aspect of our home-sale was covered. Dave and I had been talking about selling our house for YEARS, making improvements, watching the market, strategizing... and the two of you came in and basically read our minds. We felt completely taken care of. Pampered even.
When we suddenly decided to move across the state to be near family, leaving the house behind, we felt confident in your abilities to handle everything from afar. And you did not let us down! Getting two offers within two weeks of leaving, we never had to come back to town!
All I can say is THANK YOU. I really came to feel like you two were family, and I only wish that you could be here with us in Milwaukee when we go house hunting next spring. I will continue to tell my friends in Madison County how amazing the two of you are, and I wish you many many years of continued success."
-- Meaghan and Dave"
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Nancy & Kristina: "Once again I'd like to thank you for all of your help in making the sale of my property so very successful. In every way that I can think of your professionalism was and is outstanding. Thank you very much."
-- Steve
Graduate, Realtor Institute, GRI
National Association of Realtors
Illinois Association of Realtors
Greater Gateway Association of Realtors
Southwestern Illinois Regional Multiple Listing Service
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Alumni Association
Friends of Lovejoy Library
Friends of the Glen Carbon Library
Friends of the Historic Benjamin Stephenson House
Your Community Foundation
Coldwell Banker Million Dollar Club
Greater Gateway Association of Realtors Bronze Award
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