Meet a Famous Actor and Help Kids With Cancer

Have you ever wanted to have fun and meet a famous actor all while helping charity? Now is your chance! Get your tickets for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties Sunshine Kids Golf Tournament and meet Major Crimes actor, G.W. Bailey. But first, let us tell you about the amazing organization you will be helping.

Sunshine Kids

The Sunshine Kids foundation was created in 1982 to provide a variety of programs, events and positive group activities to support young cancer patients at no charge to them. They help in hospitals across America and right here in the St. Louis area. You can learn more about this great organization by visiting their website www.sunshinekids.org.

16^th Annual BHHS Select Properties Sunshine Kids Golf Tournament

On Wednesday, June 7^th, 2017, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties will host their 16^th annual Sunshine Kids golf tournament. At the tournament you will have the opportunity to meet actor G.W. Bailey who will be in attendance. In addition to a long career in acting, Bailey has served as Executive Director for the Sunshine Kids Foundation since 2001. He got involved with Sunshine Kids after being introduced to the organization by his goddaughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia. To learn more about this event and to get tickets visit www.SelectGivesBack.com.

Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark

Are you more of a baseball person? We’ve got a fun Sunshine Kids event for you. Join us for the 2017 Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark. This year’s Sunshine Kids Day at the Ballpark takes place at Busch Stadium on Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 12:45pm. Join us in the Left Field Loge section to watch the Cardinals play the Dodgers. Be sure to get there early to see a local Sunshine Kids member throw out the first pitch. For details and tickets visit www.SelectGivesBack.com.

Select Properties, The Boehmer Team & Sunshine Kids

Since founding in 2002, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties (previously known as Prudential Select Properties) have been big supporters of the Sunshine Kids organization. In fact, they have been top ten Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices contributors nationwide for the past ten years and have raised over a million dollars for the cause.

The Boehmer Team gives a contribution to Sunshine Kids for each home they list.  In addition to giving back, this provides their home sellers with a special Sunshine Kids icon next to the listing on their website, their brokerage website and over 500 agent websites in the St. Louis area. The Boehmer Team stays involved supporting Sunshine Kids throughout the year through numerous fundraisers and events. They have been awarded as a top Sunshine Kids contributor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select Properties for the past eight years.  Join The Boehmer Team in supporting this great cause!

How to Survive A Competitive Sellers Market

St. Louis and St. Charles County area homebuyers: we hear you. It can be a challenge right now if you are looking to purchase the perfect home. Chances are you’ve found it - a few times - only to find out there is already a contract and backup contract on the home. So here is some great advice to help you survive the current competitive sellers market.

Start Early

As soon as you decide you are going to purchase a home get started with the process. How do you start?  By interviewing or contacting a qualified, full service Real Estate Agent that knows your desired area.  Select a full time, professional Realtor that has the resources and expertise to find the right home for you in this competitive market.  Ask your Realtor this question, “What resources would you use to best find me a home, possibly before it hits the market, and what strategies would you use to help me secure that home?”  Don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial from a recent buyer client.

Get Pre-Qualified for a Home Loan

Your Realtor will have excellent Lenders that will help evaluate your buying position. Without knowing how much you can afford, you can’t confidently jump on the perfect home as soon as you find it. If you aren’t paying cash contact a reputable loan officer to help you determine how much you can afford and get you pre-qualified.   
It is important that you get pre-qualified for a home loan, as it is expected to be submitted with your offer to purchase. This process will qualify you for a home loan and help you determine the amount you can spend on a home. It also shows home sellers that you are serious about purchasing their home, which is expected in all home-buying situations.

Need help finding an experienced mortgage loan officer?
Contact The Boehmer Team for a list of recommendations.

Determine Your Must-Haves

What are the items that you cannot live without? Make a list of the things you must have in your next home. Keep in mind that the longer the list, the longer your home search could be in this current competitive market. If you still can’t find the perfect home, consider an almost perfect home that is under budget. This way you can make it into the perfect home with the money that you didn’t spend.

Search For Your Perfect Home

Now that you’ve figured out your finances, determined your must-haves and connected with an experienced real estate agent, you’re ready to begin searching for homes. Your real estate agent will be assisting you with this process by searching through their various contacts and systems. One suggestion, consult a real estate professional regarding the most accurate and updated resources for your home search. Many national home search websites, such as Zillow,  only update their listing data every few days. In a competitive market many of the homes that appear on those search results will already have a contract on them by the time you find them. Instead, try www.TheBoehmerTeam.com. Our website gets multiple listing data updates hourly and has more accurate local information.

The Boehmer Team Can Help

Are you thinking of purchasing a home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County area of Missouri? The Boehmer Team can help. We have over 55+ years of combined experience in real estate. We’ve seen buyers markets and sellers markets and made the best of both. Contact us if you have any questions about real estate or help buying or selling a property.  In addition, we have extensive experience representing buyers purchasing new home construction and consider ourselves experts in the field of new home construction. 

The Pros and Cons of Pool Properties

 

Once Memorial Day arrives to the St. Louis area, the public pools open for the season. But if you own St. Louisor St. Charles County area real estate with a pool, you can open your pool whenever you want. However pool homes come with both pros and cons.

The Pros of Owning a Property with a Pool

- Pools are aesthetically pleasing and create a more beautiful landscape in your yard.

- Pool parties are a great way to entertain.

- Get exercise, relaxation and fun, all in your backyard with a pool.

- Eat and drink whatever you want by your own pool, whereas other pools may have restrictions.

- Pools allow you to enjoy the outdoors in the hot St. Louis summers.

- A home for sale with a pool is a big attraction for pool people.

The Cons of Owning Property with a Pool

- There are costs associated with maintaining a pool.

- Pools take some time to maintain - unless you hire someone to maintain it.

- Pools can be a safety concern for small children or those who can’t swim.

- In Missouri you are required to have a fence around your pool for safety, so you my have to install fencing.

- You must keep homeowners insurance that covers the pool under “other structures” portion of the policy

- A home for sale with a pool is a turn off for non-pool people.

Pool Homes – Another Option

If you love a pool but are unsure of having your own pool at home, there is another option. Consider purchasing a home in a neighborhood that offers a community pool. This way you will have pool access without the maintenance.  However you will still have some costs associated through homeowner’s association fees.

Adding a Pool To Your Property

If you are adding a pool to your property there are a few things to keep in mind. First, check for any city or neighborhood restrictions for pools. Especially check any regulations for required fencing types or height. You may want to install a pool cover or alarm to keep unwanted pool guests out. Also, compare types of pools. Some homeowners are finding saltwater pools to be a great option that is more expensive in the beginning but less expensive over time.

Buying or Selling a Home with a Pool

Newly Constructed Villa Home For Sale in Wentzville with community pool.

The Boehmer Team has a page dedicated just to St. Louis and St. Charles County area pool properties. Check it out to see pool homes currently on the market. The Boehmer Team has worked with many homebuyers and sellers over the years that have purchased and sold pool homes. Put our expertise to work for you the next time you buy or sell a pool property.  

March of Dimes St. Louis March For Babies

Did you know that in the United States one in ten babies is born premature? Sadly some of them don’t survive and others carry on birth defects that affect the rest of their lives. But with the help of March of Dimes, we have seen the rates of premature birth decline as much as ten percent. Lower preterm birth rates help families and also help save our nation’s healthcare system millions in costs.

The March of Dimes, founded by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies.  The noble mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The funds the March of Dimes raise assist community programs, advocates in Washington, supports medical research and educates families.

Our friends at Fischer & Frichtel take fun and philanthropy seriously. This year their construction team, office team and sales team are competing against each other to see who can raise the most money for the March of Dimes March for Babies. In addition their construction team built an adorable playhouse that looks like a tiny version of one of their beautifully constructed homes. This playhouse will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to the March of Dimes. Click here to learn about their raffle.

This year the March of Dimes is hosting its March for Babies 2 mile walk in Forest Park on Saturday, April 29th.  The Boehmer Team is looking forward to participating in the walk and would love to have you join us. You can also participate by making a donation here: http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/TheBoehmerTeam

The St. Louis region goal we hope to help the March for Babies reach is a whopping $650,000. So come on out, St. Louis, and join in this great cause that supports families and communities. To learn more about the St. Louis March of Babies event by the March of Dimes, click here.