Understanding Real Estate Assessments

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It’s that time again - real estate assessments are here! St. Louis and St. Charles County property owners have recently received their bi-yearly real estate assessment.  The good part? Property values are up. That means homes are worth more and likely have more equity. The not-so-good part? Higher property values means your associated real estate assessments are higher too.

The assessment itself is not a bill. The Assessor doesn’t create value and set tax rates, they measure market values and create assessments. If sales go up in an area, market values and assessments will increase. It’s political subdivisions that determine the tax rate. These tax jurisdictions usually do this by dividing the total value of the properties in their boundaries by their budgetary needs. By the end of October these numbers are sent to the Collector of Revenue to calculate and issue property tax bills. 

Property tax bills are usually figured into and paid with your mortgage payments. Those who have already paid off their home will want to be sure to budget for yearly property taxes. The property tax revenue pays for our towns to have quality roads, schools, and other public services. The real estate assessment process helps ensure the value of your home reflects current economic conditions and that property taxes are distributed fairly.

“There is a lot of information that is used to prepare the assessments,” says St. Charles County Assessor Scott Shipman. “Starting in July the year prior, we gather data concerning all facets of real estate value. This mass appraisal process includes measurements of all buildings, land descriptions, building permits, market information, and land sales and depreciation studies. Appraisers also conduct exterior reviews of properties to observe any differences not listed in the property data. All this information is entered and managed in our database, and we conduct statistical analysis tests as a final step before market values and assessments are produced.”

Most towns encourage property owners to research and confirm assessment data by either going to the assessor’s office or viewing the assessment data online. (View St. Charles County assessments here.) Fortunately counties like ours are transparent in their process and are available to answer any questions about your assessment.

The Boehmer Team is here to help you understand all things involved with home ownership. Owning a home is a wonderful thing, especially when you understand assessments, property taxes and they way they directly benefit your community.  Need help buying or selling a St. Louis or St. Charles County area home? Contact us to setup a time to interview us to answer any questions and/or begin the process.

 *Charles County Assessor Scott Shipman quote pulled from St. Charles County Connection May 2019 Newsletter.

St. Charles County Hiking and Outdoor Fun

Spring in St. Charles County is the perfect time of year to spend some time outdoors. Since most of us are usually in a car, home or office, when the weather turns springy, it’s hard to resist getting out in it. So we looked for all the best hiking and outdoor spots in St. Charles County to grab a few minutes or hours on your own or with some friends while the weather is at its springtime best. 

Bangert Island

Bangert Island

1704 S. River Road, St. Charles, MO 63303

That’s right, we have an island. Bangert Island is along the Missouri River just south of the Blanchette Bridge. This 160-acre park includes 4 miles of natural surface trail for hiking or mountain biking, guests may encounter white-tailed deer, turkey, raccoons, opossums, and a variety of songbirds. It is a typical wooded Missouri River island, featuring cottonwood, sycamore, box elder, silver maple, and black willow trees. State fishing regulations apply and hunting is prohibited.

Broemmelsiek Park

Broemmelsiek Park

1795 Highway DD, Defiance, MO 63341

Named in honor of the family of Jack Broemmelsiek, this park is rich in St. Charles County history. Find 494 acres of natural beauty and several large lakes at Broemmelsiek Park. Enjoy more than 7 miles of multiuse trails for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. It also has a 4.7-acre off-leash dog area with large pond that was voted "Best Dog Park" in the region. Join the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri (ASEM) at dusk on Fridays at the park’s Astronomy Viewing Area (weather permitting). 

College Meadows Park

College Meadows Park

4601 Mid Rivers Mall Dr., Cottleville, MO 63376

College Meadows Park is designed to accommodate citizens of all ages and abilities. This 80-acre park can be found near the west entrance of the St. Charles Community College campus at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville. The park features a ¾ mile fitness trail with 10 exercise stations and a fitness machine that’s accessible for wheelchairs. Disc golfers can enjoy a nine-hole disc golf course with concrete tee pads and professional Mach V Disc Golf Baskets that weave through park’s scenic meadows.

Indian Camp Creek Park

Indian Camp Creek Park

2679 Dietrich Road, Foristell, MO 63348
The largest of St. Charles County’s parks is the 603-acre Indian Camp Creek Park. This park has it all. Hikers, bikers and equestrians can enjoy more than 10 miles of multi-use trails. Climb to the top of the restored silo, which serves as an observation tower, and discover beautiful prairies, vast acres of wooded hills, and protected habitat. The park also features a unique eco playground, an exclusive group camping area that is open year around, and an 18-hole state-of-the-art disc golf course. Visit the historical Cannon family cemetery, preserved to honor the region's history. (Some headstones date back to the early 19th Century.) And your fishing buddies probably already know about the large stocked lake in the park situated at the confluence of Big Creek and Indian Camp Creek.

Klondike Park

Klondike Park

4600 Highway 94 S., Augusta, MO 63332
With 250 acres of scenic property, Klondike Park has more than 4 miles of natural and paved trails for hiking and biking. Once the site of a silica sand quarry, the area has been turned into beautiful parkland. Find the lookout bluff to see picturesque views of the Missouri River Valley and Katy Trail. This park, nestled in Missouri's wine country, also includes camping with tons of amenities and a modern meeting facility. Fishermen will enjoy the fully stocked large fishing lake and free boat ramps to access the Missouri River. Watch birds, have a picnic and/or let you children enjoy the playgrounds at Klondike Park.

Matson Hill Park

Matson Hill Park

670 Matson Hill Road, Defiance, MO 63341
Enjoy 475 acres of rugged heavily forested parkland at Matson Hill Park. This park has become the area's Number One hiking and biking destination. This historical property is situated in the "Daniel Boone Region" and is perfect for any outdoor getaway or retreat featuring over 6 miles of natural surface trails. Designed with limited outside development, the park reflects the natural surroundings found in the area during the time of Boone's life.

The Park at New Melle Lakes

The Park at New Melle Lakes

400 Foristell Rd., New Melle, MO 63365

One of St. Charles County’s newest parks is The Park at New Melle Lakes. It is a former golf course property connecting to other adjacent properties owned by the County forming a 400-acre park. Hikers and cyclists will enjoy almost four miles of paved trails. Meanwhile the adjacent property (off Highway Z) has 1 mile of natural surface trails. A premier 18-hole “champion” disc golf course is available for both beginner and expert disc golfers. Catch-and-release fishing is allowed at a 25-acre lake and multiple smaller lakes and ponds. Or, enjoy a picnic at one of the picnic tables located throughout the park. 

Quail Ridge Park

Quail Ridge Park

560 Interstate Drive, Wentzville, MO 63385

Quail Ridge Park includes 250 acres of pastures, wooded hillsides, and rich bottom land near Peruque Creek. Take advantage of the more than 7 miles of natural surface and paved trails that wind throughout the park. Dog lovers will enjoy the 2.5-acre off-leash dog area. The park is also the home of National Horseshoe Pitchers Hall of Fame and an 18-hole disc golf course. Bring your friends to the large group picnic area or fish in the stocked 3-acre lake and small fishing pond.

Towne Park

Towne Park

100 Towne Park Drive, Foristell, MO 63348
Donated by the late Mrs. Betty Towne, Towne Park is rich in St. Charles County history. The 109-acre park features paved and natural surface trails, a large fishing pond, picnic areas, a forest-themed playground and a series of interlinked scenic rain gardens to enjoy. Check out the reconstructed 1800s historical homestead. Experience history, nature and education all coming together at the only Certified Nature Explore classroom in St. Charles County.  

Partial Map of Veterans Tribute Park

Veterans Tribute Park

1031 Kisker Rd., St. Charles, MO 63304
Veterans Tribute Park is a newer park in St. Charles County. The park is an oasis surrounded by residential development in a suburban setting. The park’s walking and biking trail system wraps around and through the park for 1.6 miles. For beautiful views of the lakes through a canopy of trees, take the raised boardwalk extending from the historic 1916 silo past the playground. The playground is divided into zones for children of all abilities including those needing social/emotional, physical, sensory, cognitive, and communication development. Bring you dog to the 3-acre off-leash dog park. Enjoy catch-and-release fishing at the two stocked lakes. Or take advantage of the three open-play fields that make perfect locations for pick-up games and activities.

The question is? Where are you going to go first?

Did you think of a great hiking spot in St. Charles County that we missed? Let us know. Leave a comment below.

The Boehmer Team pride ourselves in knowing the St. Charles County area. If you are thinking of making a move in St. Charles County or have a question about a particular neighborhood or community, contact us.

Prepare a Home for Sale with KonMarie Method

In January, 2019, Netflix released Tidying Up with Marie Kondo staring Japanese organizer and author Marie Kondo. In the series Kondo visits various cluttered American homes and helps families get organized with the help of her KonMarie Method. The method consists of grouping all of your items together by category and keeping only the items that “spark joy”, then finding a “home” or specific place in your household for the items.

While this may sound unexciting, the show has been a viral success inspiring people of all ages to organize their spaces. The popularity of Marie Kondo’s KonMarie Method has been proven at resale stores that are reporting big increases of charitable donations this year. Meanwhile we’ve discovered that the KonMarie Method can be very helpful for preparing a St. Louis or St. Charles County home for sale.

Organizing and decluttering the interior and exterior of a home are of upmost importance to make it look good to potential buyers. However this task can be daunting if you have lived in a home for a long time and accumulated a lot of stuff. Getting rid of stuff can be tough for some people but we’ve found that Kondo’s view to focus only on the things you really love helps make it easier to say goodbye to the other stuff.

"I was obsessed with what I could throw away… And I realized my mistake: I was only looking for things to throw out. What I should be doing is finding the things I want to keep. Identifying the things that make you happy: that is the work of tidying." – Marie Kondo

Using KonMarie Method on a Home Exterior

Consider all of the items on the exterior of your home by category, for example patio furniture. Do you have extra chairs that are just “there”? Get rid of them. Do you have an old BBQ grill that doesn’t work correctly sitting next to a new one you love? Focus on the one you love and let go of the other one. What about lawn ornaments? Do you have more than one? Choose your favorite and donate the rest. Continue to do this by category until you are really happy with the exterior of your home.

Using KonMarie Method in a Garage

Garages are a great place for extra stuff to accumulate. Go through the garage by category. Do you have doubles of any tools, lawn maintenance equipment, or car maintenance equipment? Is anything broken or no longer needed or that no longer spark joy? Sell or donate the items. No longer playing a particular sport because you’ve fallen out of love with it? No need to keep that equipment any more. Someone else would love to have it. Finally, create spaces within the garage to rehome the items you are keeping in an organized manner.

Using KonMarie Method on a Home Interior

To best implement the KonMarie Method on your home’s interior, it helps to make a list of all the categories of items in your home. This way you can mark off the completed categories as you go. Categories might include: clothes, shoes, jewelry, towels, bedding, dishes, placemats, holiday decorations, chairs, couches, tables, porcelain collectibles, candles, books, keep-sakes, etc. Or, print the Ultimate KonMarie Checklist for a premade list of categories to use while organizing.

Basically, if you aren’t in love with something in a particular category enough to use it every year or display it all the time, it isn’t worth keeping as clutter that hides the things that truly bring joy to your home and life. When done removing the items that don’t spark joy, be sure to find specific places to display or store the items you are keeping.

Notice the special items displayed at right in an organized way so the homeowners can enjoy them.

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Check out our more detailed list of items to be sure to address when listing your home in our article: Prepare a Home to Sell. Or contact The Boehmer Team for a professional consultation on what you need to do to ready your home for sale. We’ve helped hundreds of folks determine the changes needed to bring in the most value from their home sale.

Here's a summary of KonMarie Method for reference. Enjoy!

Do Open Houses Have Value?

Home sellers listing a St. Louis or St. Charles County home for sale are often most interested in how to best market the home. This is an area where Realtors can offer their experience, connections and marketing systems to get the home the attention it needs to sell in a busy marketplace. An important part of good home marketing plan is holding an open house so that potential buyers can physically tour the inside of the home. Open Houses also allow a non-pressuring opportunity to view a home at your own pace. 

Of course there are ways to see the inside of a home without holding an open house. We take great listing photos and create video tours. New technology even offers 3-D models of homes. But even after implementing all of these strategies, homebuyers ultimately want to tour a property for themselves to take in the details that pictures don’t impart. For example, photos can be very forgiving as lenses and lighting can conceal dirt, defects, broken window seals and smells. Often times, a home has an entirely different feel from the photos used to market the home. 

It’s true that individual showing appointments allow buyers to tour a home for sale with their buyer’s agent. But this means that at any time, your home will need to be available and ready to be toured by buyers. Holding an open house creates a specific time that homeowners can prepare for where multiple potential buyers can tour the property.

Holding an open house also creates more marketing opportunities. In addition to marketing your home for sale, your Realtor can market the open house via special signage, print marketing, Realtor network marketing, email marketing, open house listings, and open house searches on hundreds of websites.

Visitors attending an open house are required to sign-in with their name and contact information. This enables your Realtor to follow up with potential buyers that attended the open house. They can answer any additional questions open house attendees may have as well as alert them to any changes to the status of the listing whether it is upgrades, price changes or other items.

So the answer to, “do open houses have value?” is, “yes!”  If you interview an agent that is not interested in holding open houses, more than likely they do not want to hold open houses.  At The Boehmer Team, we find open houses to be extremely beneficial and often result in a sale.  Check out the great tips we’ve put together to assist you including: preparing a home to sell and seller etiquette for open houses. Also, you can search our blog for even more helpful information to help you sell a home for the most profit.

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If you are considering listing a St. Louis or St. Charles County area home for sale, contact The Boehmer Team. We expertly implement open houses as part of our maximum exposure home marketing plan. You can rely on our 55+ years of real estate experience to deliver a successful home sale. Contact us to set up a time to interview us about how we can help you sell your home for the most value.

Fans of Fandom

With the Super Bowl almost upon us we couldn’t help but discuss the joy of the fans. You see, we are BIG fans of football. Watching athletes who have trained to fight down that beautiful green field and score in the face of others trying to take them down is thrilling. The way you can feel the sound in your chest when the crowd roars after a touchdown is exhilarating. When you are enjoying football with friends, any of the day’s prior disagreements no longer matter, just the joy of the game.

We love the uniquely American game of football and the camaraderie we enjoy with other football fans – yes, even the ones from other teams. In fact, The Boehmer Team’s leaders, Linda and Kelly, each have different favorite football teams. Ultimately, we are just fans of the sport. Football fans share a common language of game rules, television habits and stories of events we’ve watched unfold together.

Fans are fans because they want to share their passion for something. They don’t care if it isn’t cool, or if they’ll look stupid doing it. They are fans because they can’t help not to be. Something about the experience is so good that they want to celebrate it, even if it means shouting it from the rooftops, while wearing face paint, in an oversized jersey, in front of people they work with.

While working in real estate, we’ve become fans of many people that help us provide the best client experiences.  We’d like to give a shout out to some of those people: Jeff Greige of Paramount Mortgage , homebuilders Bridgewater Communities, Fischer & Frichtel, Genesis Development, Renaissance Living, Wool Custom Homes, the home stagers at InHance It!, our brokers/owners Deb Colburn, Maryanne Vitale, Rick Colburn, and of course all our amazing team members. We’re big fans of these folks and want to say thank you for making us into fans.

After we assist our clients in real estate we ask for a review of our services to ensure we are providing the best experience. The feedback shows that we have made some fans of our own. We’d like to thank those who take the time to write us a testimonial.

See more testimonials.

If you’ve worked with The Boehmer Team and would like to leave a testimonial, click here.  Or if you’d just like to learn more about The Boehmer Team and how we can assist you with St. Louis or St. Charles County real estate click here. We’d love to turn you into a fan.

To all the fans out there… GO TEAM! We hope you have a great Super Bowl Sunday. 

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.