Great original woodwork, built-ins and architectural details add charm to this country cottage set on 1.5 +/-acres.  Beautiful original fireplace has been converted to additional storage over the years, yet it still retains it's character.  Formal dining room has original light fixture and window seat.

Large eat-in country kitchen has tail ceilings and ample cabinet and counter space.  A large walk-in pantry completes the heart of the home.

Nestled on the main street in the darling village of Prairietown, this four bedroom two bath home has a flat yard with a barn, one car garage and two carports outside.  Pecan trees and mature shade trees add to the beauty of this lot.  Parcel is L-shaped and backs up to a field.

Edwardsville schools.

Call today to see this home for yourself.  More photos are available at www.JustDuckyHomes.com

Kristina Pratt, Realtor
Nancy Milton, Realtor/GRI
618-917-0775 or 618-791-8007
Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors

Search the MLS on-line at JustDuckyHomes.com
Need to sell yours first? It's not impossible in this market.  Learn more.
Platinum Buyer's Program - Exclusively from Just Ducky Homes

First, we would like to thank Danielle Daniels for being the inspiration of this fabulous idea.  Danielle is a fellow Realtor in Marion, Ohio.  You can read her blog here.

Danielle recently wrote a blog post called "Cans For Comments".  For each comment Danielle received on Active Rain she donated a can of food to her local food pantry.

It's no secret that our fellow residents here in Madison County are having a tough time making ends meet.  We asked Danielle if we could borrow her idea and she graciously said yes.

So here it is... for each comment we receive from now until Thursday night at 10:00 we will donate a non-perishable food item to the Glen-Ed Food Pantry.  And we promise not to buy things that we wouldn't eat ourselves.  :)

Help us out, AR community, Localism.com community and Just Ducky Homes newsletter readers... lets get 100 comments for the Gled-Ed Pantry.

Thanks for helping us give back to the community that has given us so much.

My father-in-law is a car buff.  He loves anything fast.  He's had a Porsche, classic Thunderbird, '78 Trans Am, Corvettes... anything that moves quick.

In October of 2007, he found a steal on E-bay.  A 1985 BMW 635csi in Wisconsin for $1,500.  There were only 20,000 of these manufactured for the US market.  He lives in Las Vegas, but he bought it anyway because my husband's Uncle lives in Menomonee.  Uncle Mike picked it up for us and planned to drive it out to Las Vegas for a restoration job to be completed by Bob, my father-in-law.

Bob was going to undergo a surgery for Parkinson's in a few weeks called Deep Brain Stimulation.  He was so optimistic about the surgery, that he thought he would be able to restore the car as his first project after surgery.   It's a long story, but we'll suffice it to say that the doctor botched the surgery, nicked Bob's brain and caused significant damage. 

The BMW that Bob was planning on restoring for me sat in Wisconsin until December of 2008.  When it became clear that a full recovery was not in his future, my husband and I picked up the car and brought it back to Illinois.

The first thing I did when I got my new baby home was to replace the blower motor for the heater.  In January, I couldn't drive the car with no heat.  It was a fairly simple job for my first ever car repair.

Then I scraped the horrible after-market window tint from the driver and passenger side windows.  It was bubbled, ripped and turning purple.

The next step is a new paint job on the trunk and top of the car.  The former owner tried to sand it down himself to change the color, and he ended up just scratching the heck out of the paint.

The car has some rust on it, and the interior needs a little work on the driver's seat, but other than that I'm in love with it.  It's mechanically sound, drives smooth and accelerates fast.  Owning a BMW is a childhood dream come true.

I'll post more pics as soon as the new paint is on.  I'm planning on keeping it the original color. 

Robin did a great job explaining the absorption rate in terms anyone can understand.  Thanks, Robin!

Did you know the odds of selling your home in Edwardsville or Glen Carbon are only 42%?

In the past six months, 138 houses sold in Ed/Glen - while 323 were put on the market.  There is currently 13 months of inventory on the market right now.  Prices have held relatively stable, with a 7% decrease in the sales price from 2008 to 2009.

The market is tough right now, but it doesn't mean you can't sell if you need to.  The following five steps will help increase your odds.

1.  Price it right.  Don't price your house higher than the market will bear - or even worse - higher than your competition.  You must price your home competitively or buyers won't even bother to look at it.  There used to be a time when you could build-in a lot of wiggle room for negotiations - those days are gone.  Price it right to garner the attention of buyers.  The job of your agent is not to tell you what the house is worth, rather their job is to help you price it to sell.

2.  Clean it up.  Make sure your home sparkles.  Go the extra mile to clean sinks, counter tops, cobwebs, kitchens and especially bathrooms.  Put the toilet lid down, close shower curtains, check the fridge for funny smells and open blinds for showings.  (Just make sure you clean your windows and glass doors first).

3.  De-clutter.  In a market where buyers have so much choice available, maximize your living and closet space by renting a storage unit.  Make every square foot you have count.

4.  Neutralize.  You might love your bright red walls, blue carpet, floral wallpaper or neon green bedroom - but buyers won't.  If your home is going head to head with competition that is already neutralized, odds are the home that doesn't require a cosmetic overhaul will win out.

5.  Make repairs.  Even small repairs can help buyers feel like they are getting the most for their money.  Tighten loose door knobs, change light bulbs, fix broken baseboards, fill holes in walls - you get the idea.

Above all, don't be afraid to ask your agent for help pointing out some things that might require attention.  The hardest part of selling your house is making the shift in your mind to treat it as a commodity instead of a home.  Right now most buyers want to get the most for their money.  They tend to prefer homes that are move-in ready.

In a tough market, you need all of the advantages you can get.  For more information visit our "Sellers" section of our website at JustDuckyHomes.com  With a little bit of elbow grease, a good agent and above all - patience - you can sell in this market.

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Kristina Pratt is a Realtor with the Just Ducky Homes Group at Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors in Edwardsville.

kristina@justduckyhomes.com
(618)917-0775 wireless

http://www.edwardsvillerealtors.com
http://www.justduckyhomes.com
http://www.twitter.com/kmprattrealtor
http://madisoncountyrealestate.blogspot.com

(Copyright© 2009 Kristina Pratt, All Rights Reserved.)

Introducing Real Estate 101 From Just Ducky Homes

For anyone considering selling their home with agent representation, this is going to be a crash course in the world of real estate.  Check back in over the next few weeks, as I'll be adding more information. 

I know, you're already saying "Why would an agent help me sell my home for free?"  I'll answer that question in a second.

The first thing you need to know is that it is not impossible to sell your home without an agent.  I've known some owners that really take on the job of doing it themselves and the results are fabulous.  You just have to be willing to make a large commitment to marketing your home effectively. 

A simple rule of any type of marketing is that the more people your product (in this case, your home) is exposed to the higher the demand for that product will be.  We all know what happens when demand is high - just look at gas prices last summer.  The more buyers and agents that know your home is available the higher your selling price will be.

For example, when Nancy and I list a property the first thing we do is send out an e-mail to local agents letting them know about the new listing.  Here is where having access to the MLS comes in handy - every prospect from other agents in the MLS  that matches your home will receive an e-mail alert.  They can then contact their agent to set up a showing.  We also begin our Internet marketing and print campaigns.  It's important to let as many people know your home is for sale as possible. 

Although you can't list your home in the MLS without listing with an agent, the best place to start to market your home is on the Internet.  Over 87% of buyers start their home search online. Try www.freewebs.comas a starting place.  You can create a website for your home here.  Most sites like Realtor.com, Trulia.com, or ColdwellBanker.com only allow agents to post listings - but don't worry - there are plenty of sites out there that let owners post their homes for sale.  It's pretty long, so feel free to contact me if your interested in this list.

Now to answer the question I'm pretty sure you posed above... Why would an agent would give tips out to a FSBO? (That means For Sale By Owner in Realtor speak, by the way).  The reason is this - there may come a day when you or someone you know needs the services of a Realtor, and you might be kind enough to refer them to me. 

Next week, I'll go over commonly used terms by agents that might contact you about your home and what they mean.

Feel free to e-mail me or call with any questions about selling your home.  I'd be happy to help, with no obligation.

You can find more tips for selling your home on your own under the "Sellers" section of our website at www.JustDuckyHomes.com

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Kristina Pratt is a Realtor with the Just Ducky Homes Group at Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors in Edwardsville.

kristina@justduckyhomes.com
(618)917-0775 wireless

http://www.edwardsvillerealtors.com
http://www.justduckyhomes.com
http://www.twitter.com/kmprattrealtor
http://madisoncountyrealestate.blogspot.com

(Copyright© 2009 Kristina Pratt, All Rights Reserved.)

This is a great post explaining (far better than I ever could) the different types of roofing available.