“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?

Bob Mitchell - Realtor St. Louis

You Heard It Here On AR First!

Have you ever went swimming in cold water? At first you dip your big toe in the water to see how cold it is. Thensticking a toe in the water you walk in to just below your waist...... Man! This is cold!.....Finally, you take the plunge! You throw caution to the wind and fully submerse yourself. After a couple of minutes, you're used to the water and have a great time!

This reminds me of how our government has approached the crises in the housing and credit markets. At first all they did was dip their big toe in the water. That is, they didn't do much! Mostly they just talked crap about how the housing markets were just fine and that there wasn't anything to worry about.

Then lenders started dropping like flies and the real estate market ground to a halt in a lot of big time markets. Property values in some markets started to plunge. The governments reaction to this was a little bit more substantial, but still not much. In essence, this was them wading in until the water was up to their thighs.

Wall Street BullThen the big banks and Wall Street Investment houses started feeling the pain....

Oh MY GOD! RICH PEOPLE ARE GETTING HURT......QUICK, DO SOMETHING!

In came Fed Chairman Ben Bernake and Treasury Secretary Paulson to the rescue....of the rich people. They looked at the situation and decided that the housing markets were just experiencing a "correction" and that what needed to be done was to cut the fed funds rate and the discount rate in order to help the banks out.

True, they at this point were all the way in, but the problem is that they are in the WRONG POOL!

While the government was focusing it's efforts on stabilizing the stock and bond markets, homeowners across the country were seeing their equity evaporate before their eyes. Some people, who had planned on refinancing out of riskier mortgages were stuck because the value of their homes had fallen. Other people who WOULD have wanted to buy a home became afraid that owning a home wouldn't be a good investment, so they decided to continue renting.

The real estate market entered a downward spiral and still the government did very little. President Bush and Secretary Paulson's introduced a "Freeze" plan, which in my opinion was a joke. But at least it could be viewed as the government finally sticking a toe in the "right pool".

Now there is talk in Washington and therefore in the media about doing more to deal with the crises. There is talk of forming a "Resolution Trust" sort of entity to buy the mortgages that are in default or in danger of default and "fixing" what is wrong with them so that people can afford to stay in their homes. The hope is that by doing this that it will reestablish confidence in the real estate markets and that people will start buying homes again.

Where Have I Heard Somebody Talking About This Sort Of Thing Before?

The Fed Is Looking Out For The Big Guy, But Who's Going To Look Out For The Little Guy?

Activerain 08/23/07

A Hand Up Vs A Hand Out

Activerain 08/27/07

A Hand Up Vs. A Hand Out 2

Activerain 08/27/07

Home Ownership Is Too Important To Do Nothing About

Activerain 11/26/07

Home Ownership Too Important 2

Activerain 11/27/07

Home Ownership Too Important 2 (cont.)

Activerain 11/27/07

I'm From The Government And I'm Here To Help You

Activerain 12/04/07

The Mother Of All Comments

Activerain 12/05/08

Take Two Fed Rate Cuts and Call Me In The Morning

Activerain 01/16/08

Is It Two Late To Save The Empire

Activerain 01/17/08

Four Concrete Steps To Save Housing Values

Activerain 01/17/08

Stop Pussyfooting Around

Activerain 01/29/08

No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

Activerain 01/30/08

Are Foreclosures Really The Problem?

Activerain 02/09/08

Honestly, I don't know why it has taken so long for the powers that be to start to come around to my way of thinking? I wrote the first of these posts back in August 07.

The reason that I'm pointing them out now is not to stroke my ego...though it does feel good to say "I told you so", but because "Housing IS Too Important To Do Nothing About" . And while there are a lot of peoDust Bowlple who don't have a bunch of faith in government run programs (myself being one of them), I also feel that there are some things that the government is in a unique position to deal with. The crises in the credit markets is one of these situations!

One last point.....if the government does eventually create such a program it won't be the first time. In addition to the Resolution Trust Corporation (which worked out fine, by the way) the government also created the "Home Owner's Loan Corporation, which at one point held 20% of all mortgages in the US. This was back in 1933.

Hopefully, it won't take us going into a depression this time before the government sees fit to directly address the problem.

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

Bob Mitchell is president of ValueList Real Estate Services, St. Louis' largest discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company. If you would like to find out more about Bob, ValueList or our flat-fee listing program, please feel free to visit our web site at valuelistre.com

People Still WANT To Buy Homes!

A comment from a member of the public on one of my previous posts (News Flash - Real Estate Values To Rise)called into question my belief that it's not the housing markets that are broken, but rather the credit markets that are causing the housing markets to suffer.

In his comment the gentleman pointed out that there is over a one year supply of homes on the market here inInventory's are up! St. Louis and the surrounding areas and that the number of foreclosures and auctions are higher than they've ever been. To this, I have to say that I agree with him. There are a lot of homes on the market right now and foreclosures are a problem.

That's not to say that people don't want to buy homes. They do! In the past week, I've gotten several telephone calls from people asking when I thought the real estate market was going to bottom out. A friend of mine called and mentioned a home that is across the road from his uncle's place that he wants to take a look at. The daughter of a friend of a different friend called me and asked if I thought that now was a good time for her and her new husband to think about buying a home.

These folks watch tv. They know that the real estate markets have been sucking wind for a while now, but that doesn't stop them from WANTING to own their own home!

Are they going to pull the trigger right now? I kind of doubt it. My buddy who wants to look at the place across the road from his uncle's also said that while he wants to look at it, that he doesn't want to make an offer until the price drops another $10,000 or $20,000. When I see him, I plan on smacking him upside his head!

My friend's daughter is still a bit nervous that if she buys something that it will be worth less next year than it is right now. I was honest with her, she might be right! I also pointed out to her that she should be looking at buying a home as a long term investment, not something to look at over just a 12 month period. NEWS FLASH - This is the way that real estate investments SHOULD be looked at!

Business Sucks SaleAnyway, I don't know when this market is going to bottom out. I think that a lot of it depends upon if our government takes direct, proactive steps to address the problems in the credit markets. If they do, I think that a recovery in the real estate markets, even those worst hit, will actually happen fairly quickly. As I mentioned, I still think that people WANT to buy homes.

If the government either won't or can't come up with some solutions to the credit market's problems, then it might be a fairly long time before the housing markets recover.

Does this mean that my buddy should continue waiting for that price to fall or that my friend's daughter should hold off indefinitely from buying that first home? I don't think so. I think that they both should look at buying real estate right now as a long term investment. One that might take 5 or even 7 years to bear fruit.

People kind of got away from looking at buying a home this way. That's okay because even when people do start to accept the fact that the hold time on a real estate investment is going to be as long as 5 or 7 years, they are still going to WANT to own their home! This is the base for real estate. It's a base that we can build upon!

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

Bob Mitchell is president of ValueList Real Estate Services, St. Louis' largest discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company. If you would like to find out more about Bob, ValueList or our flat-fee listing program, please feel free to visit our web site at valuelistre.com

Take It With A Grain Of Salt - Don't Believe Everything That You Read Here On AR

Bar talk. Are you familiar with the term? It's when you're sitting at a bar and there is some guy sitting there whodrunk at a bar is obviously the world's smartest man! No matter what you're talking about, he's the expert!

I've always felt the there was something about real estate that brought this out in people, even when they weren't sitting at a bar with a few drinks in them. In the past, I've teased that ALL men have a gene in their DNA that makes them an expert when it comes to real estate. I've been involved in real estate since 1984 and I'm the one guy who apparently doesn't prosess this gene!

Well, Blogging is another one of these instances where people get to spout off their opinions and claim to be an expert in one subject or the other. The particularly bad thing about blogging is that if you call yourself an expert long enough and you gain a certain amount of notoriety in a community, others will start to view you as an expert.

I just noticed this today while reading a blog about a lady who had her content swiped by another blogger. In this post she referenced a post by another AR member on copyright. She referred to her as AR's "Queen" on the topic.

Well, first of all, I'm not using particular names because I don't want to stir up another battle royal as I did the last time I wrote on copyright. If you can read between the lines and guess who I'm talking about, then that's cool. I'm not attempting to slam anybody here, I just want to make a point.

That is, that just because somebody writes with a tone of authority, doesn't make that person a true expert! Especially in a topic as open to interpretation as copyright law!

If you read the comments on my post about the "Fair Use Doctrine" and "Fair Use Doctrine II", you will see that quite a few people disagreed with me. In particular AR's resident "Queen" on the subject thought I was full of crap! From some of the other comments you will see that, at least her on AR, that people place a far greater amount of faith in her opinions when it comes to copyright than they did on mine. This is cool, I'm a big boy and can take it.

The problem with this is that she was wrong! At least according to a world renown authority on the topic. Actually, he didn't come right out and say that she was wrong, instead in an email to me, he linked to an example where he personally did the exact same thing that I had done.

He also pointed out that even though he has an extensive amount of experience in the field, including having worked for the US Government as copyright counsel to the US House of Representatives and as the policy planning adviser to the register of copyrights that various courts throughout the world didn't always agree with him.

Anyway, again, my point here isn't to slam anyone. It's to make sure that you take what you read here with a grain of salt. While you can indeed learn a great deal from reading the various posts, use it as a jumping off point. Do your own homework. In this particular case, I read the actual statutes and when I wanted affirmation that my interpretation was correct, I emailed this guy. It's amazing that all I had to do was ask and he was kind enough to have exchanged several emails on the topic. I am now comfortable that I was indeed correct in my interpretation of the law. If some of the folks here on AR don't agree with me, at least " Let me buy you a drink!"

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

Bob Mitchell is the president of ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc., St. Louis' largest discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company. To find out more about Bob, ValueList or our flat-fee listing program please feel free to visit our web page, valuelistre.com

2105 Shannon Place - Wentzville New Construction **REDUCED! Now Even A Better Deal!

One of the things that a lot of people don't realize when they buy a "new construction" home is that there are a lot2105 Shannon Place Wentzville, MO of finishing touches that you need before that house turns into a home. For example, many builders don't install garage door openers or shelves in the laundry room, etc.

Last week I listed a property at 2105 Shannon Place in Wentzville, Missouri (MLS #8001003)that was built as a spec home. My clients just closed on it 5 months or so ago. Since they bought it that have done quite a few of these "finishing touches" such as sodding and seeding the lawn, installing a ultra fast/ultra quiet garage door opener, installed tub enclosures, installing a blower on the gas fireplace to make it more energy efficient. They've also put up window treatments, etc.

The biggest thing that they've done is that they built a $12,000.00 "Trex" brand composite (maintenance free) deck onto the back of the home. When you add everything that they've done to the home, it adds up to almost $20,000.00.

2105 Shannon Place Wentzville MOAs you can probably guess, they had intentions of staying in this home for quite some time, but as life sometimes goes, their situation has changed and now they need to move out of town. So basically, their loss is your gain!

Priced at $214,900.00 this home is a steal considering all the work that they've done on the home! So, if you're looking a "new" home, you may want to consider this one. As you can see from the pictures, it's a handsome home on a level lot. It also features upgraded maple cabinets, a spearate tub/shower in the master bedroom suite and vaulted ceilings in the bedroom, kitchen and great room.

The seller is also willing to help pay some closing costs with the right offer and ValueList is offering a special financing program on this property (call for details). So, if you're considering buying a new home or if you're an agent who might have a buyer, it's extremely easy to view this home. Simply call to make an appointment!

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

Bob Mitchell is the president of ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc., St. Louis' largest discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company. To find out more about Bob, ValueList or our flat-fee listing program please feel free to visit our web page, valuelistre.com

****Please note that if you are a buyer under a buyer's agency agreement with another agent, please call that agent in order to have them make an appointment to view this home!

2105 Shannon Place Wentzville MO 2105 Shannon Master bedroom suite

2105 Shannon Place in Wentzville MO 2105 Shannon Place Wentzville, MO

2105 Shannon Place Wentzville MO

Expressing Your Opinions - The Business Ramifications of Blogging

The other day I wrote a blog called, "An Ethical Dilemma - To Stand or Not" that told the story of my going to aAmerican Flag concert where the US Marine Corp had come on stage in order to recruit. The MC attempted to cloak this recruiting effort in a veil of patriotism by encouraging everyone "to stand to show our support for the troops".

I was in somewhat of an awkward position in that we were attending the concert as a guest of my girlfriend's employer and I am animately against the War in Iraq, as well as the idea of recruiting young people to fight in it. The long and the short of it was that I sat my fat ass back down and didn't participate. My girlfriend saw my actions and even though we were the only people in that box to have done so, she joined me in sitting down.

The next day I wrote about the experience in a public post and one of my regular readers questioned me about whether or not I should be so public in my disapproval of the war. He asked me during the phone conversation if I wasn't afraid of alienating a potential client who may read this post, if they disagree with me.

I thought about it.

"Hmmmm, yeah it's one thing to have an opinion, but it's another thing to express it publicly. Especially if the subject of that opinion is fairly controversial."

Rush LimbaughBut then I thought about it more and came to the conclusion that as long as I'm respectful and am careful to examine both sides of an issue, why should somebody be alienated because of my political opinion? If they are too closed minded to accept the fact that I am a caring, thinking individual who retains his right to be able to express his opinions, then screw them! I probably wouldn't want to work with them anyway!

Not that I don't need the money...did I mention that I still have two kids in college? But when it comes to important issues of the day such as the War In Iraq or Global Warming or the legalization of drugs, don't I almost have a responsibility to utilize what limited bully pulpit I command to get the word out? Especially considering that some of my views are what you might call controversial? If I don't speak out for them, who will?

So, from a business point of view I guess that it comes down to doing the math. Do I gain more business from writing about my views than I lose because some people won't agree with me? I honestly don't know.

I do know that I had a polysci professor in college who told me, "Bob, it's not important what they remember you for as much as it is that they remember you!" He then went on to predict that eventually, that if he lived long enough, that Richard Nixon would be labeled an "Elder Statesmen". About a year before his death I noticed a news magazine that had the title, "Richard Nixon, An Elder Statesman?" Pretty wild, huh?

A while back I got into a fight with the Better Business Bureau here in St. Louis. They were pissed off at meThe BBB Logo because I had mentioned on my web site that, "I was a proud member of the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois". This was a true and accurate statement.

When they wrote me a nasty letter demanding that I remove that statement from my web site, I wrote them back and had the audacity to ask them why? They wrote me a nastier letter back stating that it was against the organizations by-laws to publicly state that you were a member...that is...unless you paid them an additional fee in order to be able to say that!

I'll be honest,Bill McClellan I thought that was unethical for them to behave that way and I told them. Long story short, I got booted because I refused to apologize for having told people in the first place that I was a member and for calling them a secret society on par with the Ku Klux Klan and The American Nazi Party!

They issued a press release announcing my having been booted and I did what I think every thinking business person would have done at that point, I called a reporter!

A local columnist, Bill McClellan wrote about our fight in the St. Louis Post Dispatch. After his article appeared, I received hundreds of phone calls, emails and letters telling me how much they appreciated my standing up to the BBB. I only got a couple that thought that I was out of line. As a result of the fight and the story I ended up picking up several transactions that I wouldn't have if I hadn't been willing to stand up for what I thought was right.

So, the conclusion that I've come to is that it makes business sense to be willing to express my views as long as I do it in a respectful manner. I'm curious though,what do you guys think?

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

Bob Mitchell is the president of ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc., St. Louis' largest discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company. To find out more about Bob, ValueList or our flat-fee listing program please feel free to visit our web page, valuelistre.com