You Don’t Need Luck to Snag a Great Home

With more buyers than sellers in the St. Louis and St. Charles County real estate market, finding a great home for sale can feel like competing in an episode of The Amazing Race. One can scour the national real estate websites and many local sources and find a great home only to learn that it is already under contract or that several other people have already submitted offers. Some folks even write letters to owners selling a home to prove they’re the best buyer, but to no avail. Don’t give up, you're not out of luck – you just haven’t found the right help.

We would like to introduce you to our impressive team of Buyers' Agents. These fastidious Realtors are a combination of Lewis and Clark, Sherlock Holmes and Bill Gates in their abilities to search and discover real estate listings on the internet and in the real world that match their clients wants and needs. These agents are the "luck" you're looking for.

SHANNON KOHNEN

“As Realtors we are not salespeople - we are matchmakers. We introduce people to homes until they fall in love with one. And that is what makes our job so amazing. We find a LOT of homes; new homes, old homes, and coming soon homes to introduce to our clients.“

Shannon is an experienced Realtor and a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team. She brings 17 years of real estate industry knowledge and outstanding customer care to The Boehmer Team's clients. Shannon specializes in finding homes that meet the specific needs of clients in a competitive residential market.  A St. Louis area native, Shannon currently resides in St. Peters with her husband, daughter, two sons and black lab. When she isn't creating great real estate experiences you can find Shannon cheering on her daughter at competitive cheerleading and her oldest son at soccer games and taekwondo.

STEPHANIE PUSZKAR

“Nothing is more satisfying than helping each and every home buyer find and win the right home.  That is what we strive to do every day using our team’s experience, expertise, and relationships with other agents, in addition to applying successful strategies to win in multiple offer situations. Above all else, our clients’ best interests are our top priority.”

Stephanie works as a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team. Her reputation for great customer care and vast industry knowledge has endeared her to many of The Boehmer Team's home buying clients. Stephanie is a St. Louis area native who lives in St. Charles with her fiancé, two kids and her cat, Mr. Kitty. When not serving her real estate clients she enjoys anything outdoors, especially boating and watching football.

KRISTIN TEMPLETON

“In this current market, we are often in multiple offer situations but the collective years of experience our team has enables us to be privy to and share with each other strategies to “win” those homes that other agents just don’t have.”

Kristin is a Buyer Specialist for The Boehmer Team that has over 16 years of real estate experience. She has been the proud recipient of the 5 Star Service Award eleven times for excellence in customer service. Her past experience helping new construction homebuyers has earned her awards from the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri. She currently lives in St. Charles County with her husband, Phil, her Big Dog Bell, and her tiny cat, Ninja. She has three grown children: Connor, 26, Anna, 24 and Michael, 22. When not serving real estate clients you can find Kristin reading, hiking, traveling, at yoga, playing tennis or at Bible study.

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Our goal and focus, as Real Estate professionals, is to provide unparalleled service and complete dedication when assisting our clients in achieving their Real Estate goals.  Each member of our team utilizes their specialized skills to provide our clients the personalized service they deserve when making the important decisions involved in buying or selling a home.  We are proud of the steady stream of testimonials, repeat clients and referrals that have allowed our business to grow. Contact The Boehmer Team to see how we can assist you.

Year-End Deals on New Construction

The competitive real estate market in St. Louis and St. Charles County, Missouri has created a more active end-of-year real estate season. Homebuyers wanting the best deal on the perfect home are willing to make offers even in the midst of the holiday season. And these smart homebuyers are finding some of the best deals of the year.

In a blog we wrote last year, we pointed out how December 26th is one of the best days of the year to get a good deal on a home, whether it’s a new or pre-existing home. Since historically winter months are a little slower in real estate, some of the best deals come out during this time. If you are dreaming of a newly constructed home, December is an especially good month for getting the most value for your dollar.

Home builders work year round. Many have homes for sale that are in the process of being built and homes for sale that have recently been completed. So you won’t have to wait long to get into a brand new home. 

Are you ready to move into a brand new home?

If you are ready right now for a brand new home, you’ll want to visit BuyNewAndNow.com.  Here you can find a list of homes around the St. Louis and St. Charles County area that are newly built and available for sale.

Want a new home with your preferred paint and finishes?

If you are willing to wait a few weeks for your newly constructed home, you could get in on the end of the construction process and choose some of the paint colors and finishes. Visit our New And Almost Ready for You page to see an updated list of homes for sale that are currently in the construction process around the St. Louis and St. Charles County area. (Link to page also available on BuyNewAndNow.com)

Quality St. Louis & St. Charles County Home Builders

Some of the esteemed home builders that often have new construction home inventory at the end of the year include: Fischer & Frichtel, Bridgewater Communities, Renaissance Living and GenesisDevelopment Company. These home builders each have unique offers and products.

Fischer & Frichtel: This long-time company designs and builds to the highest standards for superior, enduring value. They offer a wide variety of floor plans and several great communities to build in.

Renaissance Living: 

Renaissance Living offers the efficiencies of high production building with the flexibility and personal touch of custom building to give you a new home that is affordable, customized and personal.

Bridgewater Communities: This great home building company specializes in villas. If you are looking for privacy and spaciousness in a home without the time consuming restraints of exterior maintenance, this builder is a perfect option for you.

Genesis Development Company: Committed to providing premier customer service throughout your new home building experience, this company strives to deliver unparalleled workmanship on every new home.​ 

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The end of year may be busy, but savvy homebuyers will find some of the best deals during this time. Don’t forget to check out and/or bookmark BuyNewAndNow.com to keep tabs on the latest deals on brand new homes. You deserve the best quality new home and our goal is to help you get it. If you have questions about buying a new home, contact The Boehmer Team. We are here to help.

Great Charities For Year-End Donations

Year’s end is a time with a lot of charitable giving. Whether it is the Christmas spirit or making final tax-deductible donations, charities often experience an uptick in donations at the end of the year. The Boehmer Team supports numerous charities and foundations throughout the year, including some right here in St. Charles County. So if you are making plans to give a year-end charitable donation, consider one of these fine organizations.

 

First Capitol Lions Club

https://www.firstcapitollionsclub.org/

First Capitol Lions Club is a local branch of the largest service organization in the world, Lions Club International. Club members identify community needs and organize to offer assistance where help is needed. Club Lions are actively involved in: collecting eyeglasses to recycle, supporting sight-saving surgeries, vision screenings for local people in need, and providing treatment to those at risk of losing their vision. In addition the Lions Affordable Hearing Aid Project (AHAP) enables Lions to provide high-quality low cost hearing aids to individuals who would otherwise not be able to afford them. We support The Lions Club mission and think they are a great consideration for your year-end donations.

Missouri School for the Blind

https://msb.dese.mo.gov

This fine organization offers educational and outreach services for legally blind Missouri children from birth through age 21 and their families free of charge.

Missouri School for the Blind concentrate services on two areas – schools for the blind from kindergarten through grade 12 school in St. Louis, Missouri, and outreach services offered throughout the state. MSB’s school is free of charge and open to all legally blind Missouri children ages five through 21. But they need our support to continue to offer great services to children and families. We’ve been supporters for years and know they make a great option for year-end donations.

Hunt For Justice

http://huntforjustice.net/

Hunt for Justice is a charity based out of St. Charles, Missouri. Their mission is to support police officers throughout the nation that have experienced hardship as a result of accidents while on duty. They rely solely on donations as their directors and volunteers do not accept a salary. We’ve been fortunate to help them assist officers in St. Charles County that are still dealing with traumatic job-related injuries. We think they are a great organization.

Sunshine Kids

https://www.sunshinekids.org

Sunshine Kids is an organization that adds quality of life to children with cancer by providing positive group activities where children can bond with and get support from other kids also fighting cancer. While they are based out of Houston, Texas, Sunshine Kids supports children nationally, including kids right here in the St. Louis area. For each home The Boehmer Team lists, a donation is made to Sunshine Kids.  Our support for this organization has never waivered and we think they are an excellent choice for year-end donations.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

https://www.stjude.org

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to “advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.” At St. Jude no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay. We’ve been fortunate to get involved in organizing for St. Jude via the yearly St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway event. We’ve worked with the homebuilder to promote this event and have donated prizes, including a trip to Dream Riviera Cancun to help raise funds for the yearly event. If you are thinking of making year-end donations, consider St. Jude.

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The Boehmer Team is grateful to be able to offer time and funds to assist these amazing charities. These organizations contribute to the caring communities we serve every day. Please consider one of the awesome organizations for your year-end charitable giving. And if you are considering buying or selling a home in the St. Louis area, contact The Boehmer Team for assistance.

How To Get Started Buying New Construction

Updated 10/27/2019 Due to Popular Demand

Buying a newly constructed home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County areas can be an exciting adventure. New house smell? Check.  Custom to your design and function needs? Check.  The latest in home building technologies? Check.  What about where to begin? Or which home builder to trust? Um…  This is why contacting a Realtor with experience in new construction homes is the first step of the journey to owning a new home. We help new homebuyers understand the process and check off every single box for the project. 

When you contact a Realtor or home builder about buying new construction the conversation will likely begin with a variety of questions about your needs. So before you even make that first call, determine your answers to the following questions.

Buying New Construction? Start By Answering These Questions

What is your budget?
Knowing how much home you can afford will help you choose the best new construction home for you. To help you determine budget, you can use our handy mortgage calculator to calculate approximate monthly payments. Also, you’ll want to reach out to a mortgage professional to give you the best mortgage rates based on your credit score. Keep in mind if you are purchasing a property that includes a monthly fee, that fee must be considered in the amount of home you qualify to buy.

Need a good mortgage professional? Contact The Boehmer Team and we’ll give you some names of trusted local professionals.

Do you have a home to sell in order to help pay for a new home?
Selling a current home can be a big part of paying for a new home. If you have a home to sell, tell your Realtor so that they can create a competitive market analysis for your home to determine its current market value. A qualified Realtor can tell you what to expect on the sale price of your home, how long it has taken to sell comparable homes and what concessions may have been made to sell comparable homes. This will give you an idea of how much you will have toward your new home.

Do you have a time frame for when you must be moved into your new home?
If you have a deadline by which you must be moved into your new home, it is important to tell your Realtor. This will help determine whether you have the time to completely build a home from scratch or if you would be better off looking at other great options for buying new construction like buying a home currently being constructed or buying a builder inventory home.

Where do you want your new home to be located?
Determine the area where you want to live. Some good things to consider are school district and commute time. If you already have property where you want your new home built this may change your options for which builders you can use. Some builders create custom homes at any location, while others work within communities that they are building.

How involved do you want to be in the home design process?
The amount that you customize a home will affect your time frame and price. While builders allow choice of materials for the interior and exterior of a home, some materials cost more than others so these choices will affect your overall price. Design choices may also affect price as well as move-in timelines as it takes time to choose and order materials.

What are your must-have features and amenities?
Know the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and garage spaces you require. Think of the other amenities that you’ve been dreaming of too, like a fireplace, main floor laundry, additional separate office space, deck, mudroom with dog wash or something else.  Make a list and be prepared to give it to your Realtor.

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Do you have your answers? Or do you need help determining the answers to these questions? Contact The Boehmer Team for expert assistance with every detail when buying new construction. Want to learn more about us? Check out our Meet The Team page or some of our client testimonials from clients who have previously worked with The Boehmer Team.

Options For Buying New Construction

If you are considering buying a newly constructed home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County area, you have several options. St. Louis area homebuilders offer home plans that you can tweak and build from scratch, homes that are currently being built that don’t yet have a buyer, and homes that are completed and waiting for a buyer. This means you can have a beautiful brand new home now, or you can participate in the process to build the perfect home for your family.

Building a New Home From Scratch

Building a new home that is created specifically for you can be the experience of a lifetime. Picking out the design plans, lot, exterior and interior finishes enable you to create a home that will perfectly fit your life. We’ll admit there can be a lot of steps in creating the perfect home from scratch, but that is why we are here. With the right help, the steps in the home building process make for a great experience. And the results are second to none when you get a home that is created uniquely for you.

Buying a New Home During Construction

Another way to buy a brand new home is to purchase the home while it is being built. Homebuilders are building homes all the time, regardless if a buyer is procured. Purchasing a home that is currently under construction will cut out some of the steps a buyer must do in the regular new home building process while still allowing buyers to choose some of the interior and exterior finishes for the home (depending on the stage of the build).  The Boehmer Team has dedicated a page to such homes called New & Almost Ready For You. This page features homes throughout the St. Louis area that are currently under construction and waiting for a buyer.

Buying a Newly Completed Home

Homebuyers that want to purchase a new home now, without the wait of the building process, can look to builder inventory homes. An inventory home may have been part of a neighborhood development project, had a buyer that could not complete the sale (at no fault of the builder), or was simply built for inventory purposes. Many fine brand new homes are available throughout the St. Louis area and are just waiting for a buyer. You can find new homes that are completed and available for sale at our New & Now page BuyNewAndNow.com. We update this page weekly with new home inventory that is currently for sale in the St. Louis area.

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Whether buying a home you build from scratch, customizing an upcoming build or purchasing a newly completed home, The Boehmer Team can help. We can recommend great local builders like Bridgewater Communities, Wool Custom Homes, Genesis Development Company, Renaissance Living, and Fischer and Frichtel. We represent buyers purchasing new homes to help with the purchasing and building process and to protect the interests of new home buyers throughout the transaction. Thinking of buying new? Contact The Boehmer Team for expert assistance.

The Home Buying Process

Purchasing a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri may seem daunting. However, knowing what steps to take and having a great real estate team to assist you makes the process smoother, easier and can even make home buying a good experience. To make things easier we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to the home buying process.

1. Interview an agent.
A great place to start the home buying process is to find a reputable REALTOR or real estate team to assist you with your home purchase. One reason starting here is important is that an experienced REALTOR will be able to help you with all of the other steps in this process. This includes recommending other experienced servicers in the real estate industry such as lenders, inspectors, title companies and more. Not sure how to determine who is a good agent? Check out our article Interview Questions for Real Estate Agents.

2. Find a reputable lender and get pre-approved for a home loan.
Ask your REALTOR which mortgage loan officers that they have the best experiences working with. Also, ask any friends or family who have recently purchased a home about their experiences working with their lender. Then interview each lender about how they work, what their rates are (based on credit score) and any other vetting questions. Finally, choose the best one to meet your needs. This important part of the process can save you thousands of dollars, so be sure to check your options.

3. Determine the must-have features of your next home.
Do you require a 2-car garage, a fenced yard, main-floor laundry to reduce wear and tear on sore knees? Create a must-have list to ensure that none of these items are overlooked during your home search. Not sure what must-have items you need? Try our handy worksheet to help you determine the items you must have in order to purchase a home.

4. Begin your home search.
Now that you are clear on exactly what your next home must have, use these requirements when searching for a home. Most home search portals, like the one at www.TheBoehmerTeam.com, allow you to choose these features when searching online. Be sure to choose your must-have features or you could find yourself looking at homes that aren’t a good fit for your lifestyle. Also, rely on your agent! REALTORS often know of homes that are about to hit the market or that are exempt from the local multiple listing service that will match your needs. This is another great advantage to getting the help of a REALTOR early in the home buying process.

Did you know that our online home search
is better than Zillow? Click here to lean more.

5. View homes for sale in person.
Seeing a home online versus seeing it in person are two completely different things. Ask your REALTOR to make appointments for you to view the homes you are interested in, in-person. NOTE: Don’t just call the number on the sign. The number on the sign in front of a home goes to the listing agent. The listing agent’s job is to look out for the interests of the sellers and make them the most money possible. This is just one reason why it is important to work with a buyer’s agent to represent your interests.

6. Make an offer.
Making an offer on a home can be a complicated decision. What price should you offer? Are there any competing offers that you are up against? This is a great time to lean on an experienced REATLOR. REALTORS are well versed in the legal documents used in home sale transactions. They can help you determine the best strategy for your offer as well as put together the Purchase and Sale Agreement contract. 

7. Get inspections completed.
Once your contract for a home has been accepted, it is time to more thoroughly vet the home for any issues. This is the time to bring in an inspector to take a closer look at the home’s major systems including heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical. Also major parts of the home’s structure will be inspected including the roof and foundation. If an inspector finds signs of insect presence or damage this is the opportunity to bring in termite inspectors. Another inspection you might choose to do in the St. Louis area is a radon inspection as certain parts of the city have been found to have radon.

8. Negotiate for your best possible outcome.
Once you know the results of your inspections you’ll be able to negotiate for any needed repairs based on the findings in the inspection report. This is another great time to rely on an experienced REALTOR who knows which items people ask for and receive most and how to best negotiate for these things.

9. Finalize financing, title and escrow.
Despite pre-approval, there are a few more steps to completing the mortgage loan process. Check out the process here. Homebuyers will also need to review the record of title on the home and find any discrepancies. A good title company will make sure that the title is free and clear of any leans. Finally, the escrow process ensures that all parts of the contract are complete and should be monitored by your REALTOR. 

10. The home closing.
At closing all documents are signed by both the buyers and sellers. Both parties will pay any settlement fees and the documents will be officially recorded. (Don’t worry; any fees will be outlined to you in a settlement statement that you will receive prior to closing.) At the end of closing, you’ll get the keys to your new home!

So who wants to go home shopping? The Boehmer Team offers many tools and all the advice you need to assist with the process. If you are thinking of buying a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri, interview The Boehmer Team. You’ll get to know us better, can compare us to other local REALTORS and we can show you in person how we help create positive home buying experiences. Contact us today.

Home Financing Tips

 

The Boehmer Team has helped many homebuyers find the most trustworthy and dependable sources for financing a St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri home purchase. We often get financing-related questions that our experience helps us answer. But we know to refer to mortgage industry experts to guarantee accuracy of information. Recently we interviewed one of our favorite mortgage experts, Jeff Griege of Paramount Mortgage, to get his expert tips for acquiring home financing at the best price. 

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is the very first step that homebuyers should take for getting financing for a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Get in touch with a reliable local lender.  Also, listen to your real estate agent if they recommend someone.  They typically have a good relationship with a lender and the agent typically prefers to work with a lender they are familiar with.  

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Do you recommend that people speak with more than one mortgage loan officer before financing a home?

JEFF GRIEGE:

I think that it is always best to get a second opinion.  Most lenders will have similar rates and fees but the level of service is what separates good loan officers from great ones.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Is there anything that homebuyers should NOT do while financing a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Do not go out and obtain more debt while you are in the process of purchasing a new home.  This could jeopardize your approval!  DO communicate any material changes that could affect your approval (i.e. job changes) DO NOT hide things.  The more time a lender has to work on a problem the better chance the lender has to solve that problem.

 

Don’t make large purchases, like buying a new car, during the home financing process.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What impact do credit scores have on home mortgage financing? 

JEFF GRIEGE:

The higher the score the better your interest rate and cost of private mortgage insurance or PMI (if applicable) is going to be.  Both of these are credit score driven and you will get the best price on both of these if you have a FICO score above 760.  Please note that Credit Karma and other on line credit score companies do not give true FICO scores that mortgage lenders see on a credit report.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is PMI and is PMI always required with less than 20% down?

JEFF GRIEGE:

PMI is an acronym for Private Mortgage Insurance.  It insures the lender in case of default by the buyer.  PMI is always required when a down payment of less than 20% is used but there are ways to work around paying it monthly, therefore possibly saving the buyer money on a monthly basis

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is the most asked question you get from people trying to finance a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

How much can I afford and what are my monthly payments going to be?

Have you tried our mortgage payment calculator to estimate monthly payments on a new home? CLICK HERE to try it now.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

If two people are purchasing a home together and one has good credit and one has bad credit, what do you recommend they do?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Try and do the mortgage loan on the person who has good credit and put the title of the property in both of their names.  That way the person with suspect credit has ownership in the property but their credit score does not affect the rate since they are not on the mortgage part of the transaction.  Title and Mortgage are two different things

  

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Can someone with good credit and strong income but not a lot of out-of-pocket money still buy a home?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Yes, you can buy a home with as little as a 3% down payment.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What piece of advice do you most often give to homebuyers looking to get a mortgage for a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

My advice is that everything happens for a reason and to try not to get too emotional through the process so that you are able to think clearly for your financial decisions. 

At The Boehmer Team, we understand that it can be difficult not to get emotions involved when making such a large purchase. We utilize years of experience facing all kinds of unique situations in real estate to coach our clients on anything that arises throughout the home buying process. With the help of great loan officers like Jeff Griege, we make sure our homebuyers have all the knowledge they need to make the best financial decisions for themselves and their families. Thinking of buying a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri? Contact The Boehmer Team!