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From the monthly archives:

December 2007

How Walkable is your Neighborhood?

by Karen Goodman on December 29, 2007

in About St. Louis, Entertainment

When I decided to move a few years ago, I put a lot of thought into where I wanted to live. One of the key issues for me was to live in a part of town that is walkable.

One of my favorite ways to exercise is to walk outside. I chose an area that is great for walking with restaurants, shops and a Starbucks all within 2 blocks of my home. If I’m willing to go just a little farther, I could walk to dozens of restaurants and even a grocery store.

Did you catch that I said I could walk to these places? It seems that one of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight or get fit. I’ll be making one of these myself again this year, and plan to get out and start walking (well…as soon as the weather warms up a little!).

I often hear from people relocating to St. Louis that they are looking for a community that has easy access for walking to coffee shops and cafes. There are plenty of places in St. Louis that will fit this need, but many others that really require a car to get to just about everything.

How walkable is your neighborhood?

Check out this website that allows you to enter any address and shows you nearby retail businesses on a map along with giving you a walk score. My score was 60. What is your score?

Leave me a comment below to let me know if you think your walk score matches the walkability of your area.

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Home Improvement Tax Tips for 2007

by Karen Goodman on December 26, 2007

in Homeowner Tips

With only a few days left in 2007, time is running out to take advantage of some home related tax deductions.

If you make energy efficiency home improvements to your primary residence by the end December 31, 2007, you may be eligible for a tax credit. Tax benefits are available for:

  • windows
  • doors
  • skylights
  • insulation
  • heating equipment
  • cooling equipment
  • hot water heaters

For more complete information on the covered items, see this article and talk to your tax adviser. If you already made the improvements, dig out your receipts for your tax adviser. If you were planning to make these improvements soon, it might be worth a quick trip to Home Depot or Lowe’s to see if you can get something ordered before the end of the year.

And don’t forgot to drop off of your surplus household items at your favorite charity. In order to tax advantage of charitable tax deductions, the donations need to be made by December 31.

There are tons of great organizations that can use those items that you don’t really need. I’ll plug a few of my favorites here in case you are looking for a good home for your items.

  • NCJW’s Council Shop – provides funding for many great programs including Back to School Store (accepts clothing, household items and furniture)
  • Ranken Jordan – specialized rehabilitative hospital care for children regardless of their ability to pay (accepts children’s clothing and toys)
  • Lydia’s House – provides furnished transitional living apartments for victims of domestic violence (accepts children’s and household items)

Or, if you are looking for a good cause for a year-end financial donation, please consider Backstoppers Inc. This great organization steps in to take care of the financial needs of families who have lost a police officer or firefighter in the line of duty. Within days of a tragedy, Backstoppers makes arrangements to pay off mortgages, car loans and credit card balances, and provides educational assistance for the children until they complete college.

If you are new to the St. Louis area and need some help in locating a charity near your home that can accept the items you want to donate, please contact me for assistance.

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Which are the Best Schools in St. Louis and St. Charles?

December 21, 2007

As a lifetime resident of St. Louis, I am the first to admit that we are a bit too hung up on high schools. We all laugh at the ongoing joke that the first thing that you’ll hear when you meet someone new is the question ‘Where did you go to high school?’. [...]

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Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes in MLS Listings

December 20, 2007

When you are ready to sell your house, remember that the MLS listing is your home’s resume. If you wouldn’t send a resume to a prospective employer without your name, then you shouldn’t allow your MLS listing to be posted without a picture!
As I have searched through thousands of listings in order to assist [...]

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Would Your Roof Pass a Roofing Inspection?

December 19, 2007

A few days ago, I had about 5 inches of snow sitting on my roof. I recently had my roof inspected, so I wasn’t concerned that the melting snow would cause any leaks.
Do you think this roof leaked during our recent snow???

I drive by this home every day…it’s a few blocks from my house. I [...]

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Oversupply of Homes is a Great Opportunity for Buyers

December 18, 2007

The number of available homes for sale in St. Louis County, St. Charles County and St. Louis City is going to be much higher in January 2008 compared to what was available in January 2007. The higher inventory levels of homes should provide savvy buyers with many great opportunities if they are ready to get off [...]

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