All Entries in the "Real Estate" Category

Bikes, houses, farmers & stars – Another fun NoCo weekend!

NOCO fans, I sure hope you’re crossing your fingers for more of this beautiful fall weather, because there’s lots to do in North County this weekend! Which of these fun events are calling your name?

Live Well Ferguson Twilight Ramble – November 6, 3-7pm
In case you haven’t noticed, Ferguson is developing quite a vibrant bicycling community. The Ferguson Cycling Club just hosted a bike-in movie and a ghost tour of Bellefontaine Cemetery. Ferguson’s city employees are now using bikes to get around town. And thanks in large part to the efforts of Live Well Ferguson, the city’s healthy living initiative, we just became the first Missouri town to win national honors as a Playful City USA.

To help celebrate these milestones, Live Well is sponsoring another great two-wheel event: the second annual Twilight Ramble. Scheduled for Sunday, November 6, this casual bike ride through the streets and trails of Ferguson offers three options – 1 mile, 5 miles or 15 miles – all with gorgeous scenery. The event is free and open to all ages, but registration is required and you must wear a helmet. The first 100 participants will receive a free t-shirt. There’s also free food and live music. Plaza @ 501, 501 S. Florissant, 63135

EarthDance Farmers Formal – November 5, 6-11pm
As most of you know, I’m a big fan of EarthDance, the progressive nonprofit that works the land at Missouri’s oldest organic farm, just two blocks away here in Ferguson. EarthDance is a regular at the Ferguson Farmers Market, and has also hosted numerous events in NoCo, including the annual Pesto Festo. But this year, founder Molly Rockamann decided to take a different route.

Pesto Festo, EarthDance’s biggest fundraiser, has now morphed into the Farmers Formal…..a slightly more upscale event that will be held at Washington University’s College Hall (as opposed to the Savoy in Ferguson). Tickets are $75 per person and that includes a full dinner courtesy of Bon Appetit, an open bar with beer, wine and cocktails, silent and live auctions, and live music by the One Take Band and the Bottoms Up Blues Gang. Wear your best farmer duds and get ready to feast on local vegetables, meats and cheeses! You can get your tickets and more info right here.

UMSL Observatory Open House – November 5, 7:30pm
If you haven’t been to UMSL’s observatory yet, you’re truly missing out on one of the coolest attractions in North County. It’s just a simple metal shed sitting just beyond a softball field, but its high-powered telescope offers a brilliant view of the magnificent universe that surrounds us. This month, the observatory will offer viewings of Jupiter, Uranus, the Ring Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy, as well as the first-quarter moon. And the best part is, it’s all free! Just walk up and get in line, and if you have any questions about the stars, there will be an expert nearby. For directions and more info, look here. Kids welcome!

Discover Your Dream Home in Ferguson – November 6, 1:30 – 4pm
The real estate market may be down right now, but for many people in a decent financial position, the time has never been better to buy! Deals abound all across the metro area, but here in Ferguson you can really stretch your dollar. So why not learn more about the city’s housing stock at this free one-day event, where you can also hear about financing options and local schools and get a tour of various open houses. My own broker, Pearce Neikirk, will be participating. (Can’t wait to tell you about one of his newest listings tomorrow….)

Carmen Dence & Grupo Atlantico – November 5, 7:30pm
Finally, one last event to talk about….and this one is exotic! As part of UMSL’s upcoming Women in the Arts international conference, the university is hosting a very special performance by Carmen Sofia Dence, a Colombian-American folkloric dancer and choreographer who founded the St. Louis-based dance troupe Grupo Atlantico. Free and open to the public, “Bullerengue” is the name of the program, which celebrates the music and dance of Colombia and Panama and of course features beautiful costumes! Unity Lutheran Church, 8454 Glen Echo Drive, 63121

Hope to see you at one or more of these unique local events!

405 Tiffin: one of Old Ferguson West’s oldest homes

Of all the houses that I’ve featured here on NOCO, I’m proud to say that nearly every single one has been purchased by a NOCO reader. As it turns out, I’m certainly not the only person in North County who appreciates charming old homes at bargain prices. Far from it. But there is one question that keeps coming up: When are you going to show a house that doesn’t need a ton of work?

And I totally get it. Not everybody wants to be a rehabber. Some folks just want to move right in. That’s why I’m excited to share this brand new listing at 405 Tiffin.

Located in Old Ferguson West, on my very own block, this attractive farmhouse is notable for two reasons. One, it has been completely renovated from top to bottom. And two, it just happens to be one of the oldest houses in the neighborhood…..a neighborhood that will likely be named a National Register historic district in the next few weeks.

St. Louis County records say that 405 Tiffin was built in 1882, but oral tradition indicates that the house was already standing when Dr. George Case purchased the 68 surrounding acres that same year. Local legend also suggests another intriguing mystery – that a glass coffin was once unearthed in the side yard!

Of course, that’s long gone by now, but what remains is a lovely 19th-century home that has been beautifully updated for modern living. Sprawling over 1,952 square feet on 1/3 of an acre, the property offers four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a three-car garage. There’s also a main floor laundry room, an open-plan custom kitchen and a cozy fireplace…..all for $198,000.

Gorgeous, huh? If you’re interested in seeing more of 405 Tiffin, for the first time ever you can contact ME. I’ve been waiting to break this news for a while, and I guess the big moment has finally come. As of September 30, I am officially a licensed real estate agent!

I’m working with Pearce Neikirk and Partners at 27 S. Florissant Road, just two doors down from Cork Wine Bar in Ferguson. And along with Pearce, I’m a co-agent on 405 Tiffin.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be launching a second blog that showcases unique and historical real estate throughout the St. Louis area. Hopefully I’ll also be welcoming additional clients who need my help buying or selling a home. If that’s you, why not give me a call! You can reach me at (314) 359-5927 or shannon@NOCOstl.com.

Thanks so much!

1865 S. New Florissant: a fixer-upper Spanish gem

Whenever I drive past this classic 1932 bungalow perched high atop a shady hill on Florissant Road, I can’t help but think of Los Angeles. The home’s Spanish Revival style, so popular during Hollywood’s golden era, is a common sight in southern California, gracing everything from sprawling mansions to old movie theaters. But here in the Midwest, well….these babies are pretty rare.

Even more unusual is the fact that this house sits on close to an acre – a peaceful, private oasis you would never expect. Also surprising (or maybe not, considering the economy): it’s listed for just $25,500!

From what I can tell, the property was once part of the Andrew Harper estate – a totally cool story on its own. If you’re ever driving south on Florissant Road (just south of Highway 270), turn right on a street called Bascom and be prepared to have your jaw drop. You’ll pass one modest cracker box after another, nothing special. Then all of a sudden, you’ll see a big ol’ Federal-style house halfway down the street, almost like it’s out of a time warp. It was built around 1840, prior to the Civil War, and it remains one of the oldest houses in St. Louis County.

Businessman Andrew Harper lived here from roughly 1845 to 1878, but by 1925 a subsequent owner began selling off the land for development. The charming brick bungalows along Jean Drive were part of that initial building phase, back when Florissant Road was still a rural route and 270 didn’t even exist. Our sweet little Spanish house at #1865 came just a bit later.

As you can see in this aerial view, the property stretches waaaayyyy back from Florissant Road. Behind it is another very long parcel – the site of another gorgeous private estate, circa 1927. But that one’s not for sale. This one is….

Typical of foreclosures, the condition is definitely rough, but OH, what potential! I might even buy this house myself! It has three bedrooms and 1.5 baths in 1,002 square feet – which is small, yes. But there’s plenty of space to expand.

You get a half story upstairs, a full basement downstairs and a “two-car detached garage” that, quite frankly, should probably be torn down. Just looking around the outside of the house, I see water damage on the front porch, huge original gutters that probably need to be updated/repaired, and original windows that should either be re-glazed or replaced. I also smelled a slightly musty odor, so who knows what the basement has going on. Maybe it just needs fresh air??

On the positive side, the basement does have nice glass block windows. There are also many original details throughout the house, including lovely wood moldings, decorative vent grates, period doors and lighting, hardwood floors (some under carpet) and a fabulous Spanish-style fireplace (painted blue). More good news: the HVAC unit looks newer and a good deal of the back yard is fenced.

All in all, this house is most certainly a project waiting to happen. But for $25,500, you could renovate the whole place and still come out ahead. And just imagine the garden you could grow on your .78 acres! There’s even room for an orchard…

For more information about 1865 S. New Florissant, which is conveniently located mere seconds from Highway 270, check out the official listing or contact realtor Jamie Loftus at (314) 731-0006.

Green Acres: a slice of Europe in North County

Every once in a while, I wind up somewhere in North County that most St. Louisans would never guess is located in this part of town. If I showed them a photo, ten bucks says they’d guess West County or Clayton, maybe even Ladue. But nope, these amazing gems are right here in NoCo….unique examples of vintage architecture that still feel steeped in another era.

One of my all-time favorites is a subdivision in Bellefontaine Neighbors called Green Acres, which features old world European-style homes from the 1920s and 30s, as well as a nice mix of mid-century ranches. I drove through recently and was still charmed by the meandering streets and “village” feel, not to mention the handful of houses that look like they came straight out of the French countryside…

Subdivided in the 1920s, when the Bellefontaine Neighbors area was still rural and sparsely populated, Green Acres served as a convenient retreat for well-to-do residents from the city of St. Louis, who usually traveled Bellefontaine Road to get there. Named North Broadway within the city limits, Bellefontaine had once been a frontier-era military route used by Meriwether Lewis and Daniel Bissell, but by the early 20th century it was known more as a great place for a Sunday drive, especially for those visiting local cemeteries like New Bethlehem.

In the 20s & 30s, decades before Bellefontaine Neighbors was actually incorporated as a city, the area was home to an eclectic variety of people, including socialites Maude and Hattie Gibson, who frequently hosted grand parties at their Italianate mansion, Tanglewood (c.1866), which still stands near the corner of Chambers and Bellefontaine. A 1922 Post-Dispatch article references a dance they held for their cousins, who were visiting from the Ivy League colleges Smith and Princeton.

Around the same time, just up the road, police raided the farm of Mrs. Alma Wilhelmy, whose barn was found chock full of moonshine. Another local farmer, Charles Lengue, was also found with an active distillery in his barn.

So we had moonshiners, mourners and rich folks – that’s the atmosphere in which the whimsy of Green Acres came to life. And it wouldn’t be the first time this quirky subdivision had a brush with drama…

In 1950, gangster Leo Brothers, an associate of Al Capone, was shot to death in his home at #34 Green Acres. Then around 2005, another resident claimed that her neighbor – a gay Wiccan who liked to sweep his driveway in high heels – put a voodoo curse on her daughter. Seriously.

I’m not sure if that last bit is still going on (hope not), but overall, Green Acres remains a charming, unique enclave where residents are tight-knit and few houses ever go up for sale. Right now, one of the subdivision’s newer homes – a 1951 brick ranch – is on the market for a staggeringly low price. You can see it in the slideshow below, along with a few other photos from this lovely corner of North County…