Saint Katherine Lane Home

 

We currently have this beautiful home available to rent in St. Ann, MO.

This is a 2 bedroom unit with lots of updates.  The kitchen has lovely oak cabinets, ceramic tile flooring, and a stainless steel double sink. Stove & refrigerator are included in the unit.

The unit features six panel doors throughout, and three ceiling fans (one in the living area and one in each bedroom), and updated light fixtures. There are lots of windows & plenty of light in this home. The bathroom has been completely renovated & now has ceramic tile flooring & wall tile, a white vanity & medicine cabinet and nice bath tub/shower combination. There is also new carpet throughout!

The HVAC vents were professionally cleaned in 2011 & a new electric breaker panel was installed. The large, level backyard is 95% fenced. The exterior has newer vinyl siding & enclosed soffits, and tilt-in vinyl windows.

The unit is nonsmoking and pets are not allowed.
1 month security deposit with good credit.
$35 non-refundable application fee per tenant.

Please call or email for a time to see unit.

 Check out our listings on Trulia, Craigslist, or HotPads to see more pictures.

Guest Post from Tony Collins

For the week of April 23, 2012 – Vol. 10, Issue 17

QUOTE OF THE WEEK..."A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." --Walter Bagehot, English businessman, essayist and journalist

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... People say home building can't recover any time soon. Yet the signs continue to mount that a recovery is underway. Off 5.8% for March, Housing Starts are up 10.3% from a year ago, to a 654,000 unit annual rate. The monthly drop came from volatile multi-family starts, while single-family units were down only 0.2%. And the number of homes under construction was up for the seventh month in a row! Even Building Permits are up 30.1% versus a year ago. It's early in the home building recovery, but some are saying we could get to 1.5 million units by 2016.

More signs the housing market is recovering slowly but surely came with March Existing Home Sales. Although off 2.6% for the month, at 4.48 million units, they're up 5.2% over a year ago. In addition, the median price rose in March to $163,800 and is up 2.5% over a year ago, while the months' supply of inventory stayed at 6.3. Frankly, no one expects a big bump in home sales soon, but the market is definitely beginning to heal, as it's obviously a great time to buy. 
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When dealing with your home financing, I not only work with one of your largest personal financial investments; I also handle one of your biggest dreams. As your mortgage planning specialist, I will give you my best consistently. My team specializes in renovation financing both for the purchasing of a home or for renovating a home you already own. In fact, Renovation Loans are all we do. Renovation loans allow you to purchase or refinance and renovate the home in one seamless transaction.

With over 13 years experience working with only Renovation Loans you can trust myself and the rest of the St Louis Renovation Team to help guide you from application to project completion. 

Tony Collins
Renovation Specialist
Office: 314-288-2462
Office: 866-997-0358
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A word from Provident: The housing market is getting ready to rebound. If you are looking to invest in real estate, now would be the time to start. If being a landlord isn't for you, contact us. We are ready to manage your units professionally and competently. 
 

Shadow market

 I came upon an interesting article about the "shadow" market of foreclosures. This article, while detailing Southern Florida, was very informative. I particularly liked this quote:

"At this rate, Verna figures it will be three to five years before lenders let all the homes go. The risk is that, by moving too slowly they could artificially raise prices in some areas, which might spur investors who bought homes as rentals to put them up for sale.
'The truth of the matter is we would have already gotten over it if they just let the properties get out there and get sold,' Verna says. 'So what are you doing? You're not stabilizing the market. You're creating more chaos.'"

If you are interested in investing in the real estate market, we can help. We are ready to be your property management team. We will find tenants, maintain or renovate the property, and take care of most of the hassles involved with being a landlord. (Sorry, you would still have to write the mortgage check each month. That's one service we don't offer.) Please contact us today for more information.

Preparing for Spring

Spring is in the air. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, the grass needs mowing. With the arrival of spring, it's time to clean up our homes. Though there is no clear historical background for the seasonal cleaning urge, people around the world respond to it and houses become the cleaner for it. So what items should be taken care of as the seasons change?

Fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should definitely be checked. Detectors have a roughly 10 year lifetime before they should be replaced. They should also be cleaned regularly to ensure they are working properly, and have batteries tested. We all know how annoying it is to hear that incessant "beep beep beep" when the battery dies, but sometimes they just quit working. If we don't individually test them periodically, they may not work should we ever need them. At our house, we like to test ours about once a week or so on our family pizza night. Kidding. The oven tends to smoke and set off the alarm near the kitchen, which sets off the whole house. But it's always a good reminder to me and a good way to check them out too.

Furnace filters need to be changed regularly. If you have an HVAC unit (a heater and air conditioner in one), the filters need to be changed all year round. Depending on the type you prefer to buy, you need to change them monthly or every few months. With pollen and other airborne allergens hitting their high points for the year, changing filters can help alleviate any allergies your family members may experience. It's always a good idea to give the furnace a once-over when changing the filter also. Does everything look normal? Does it look dirty? If you ask questions of your furnace technician when they come out to inspect it yearly, than you know what to look for and can spot and potential problems. I'm not sure what's a worse situation- losing the heat on the coldest day of the year or losing the air conditioner on the hottest. Regular furnace and air conditioning inspections can help spot problems before they become major.

Inspect the exterior of the building. You should be looking for any damage that may have occurred during winter storms- missing roof shingles or loose siding. Also check the rain gutters and clear out any debris. April showers bring May flowers after all, but April showers plus clogged gutters can cause a mess and problem for your home if the rain is pooling somewhere and not draining properly. Now is a good time for clearing out any debris that may have blown into the flower beds or up against the foundation as well. Piles of leaves are very attractive to critters and pests of all sorts. If these piles are near the home, the pests may decide your home is even better than the leaves.

As your property management company, Provident can address all of these maintenance issues for you. We offer quarterly inspections of the property as well as coordinate any maintenance needs that are beyond our expertise (HVAC for example). A well maintained property saves money in the long run because small problems can be addressed before becoming huge headaches. Please contact us today to see what we can do for you!

Goodbye St. Louis?

It's no surprise that cities that have thrived on manufacturing jobs for so long as dying out. Manufacturing is slowly being shipped overseas. A lot of these cities are emptying out as the jobs leave. St. Louis is one of them. Some "experts" think that these cities will just die out and be abandoned over time. But it doesn't need to be that way. According to an interesting article I found:
"Globalization taketh away—but it also giveth. Cities like Buffalo or St. Louis now have access to things that even people in Chicago didn’t not that long ago. Amazon, iTunes, and a host of specialty online retailers put the best of the world within reach. Where once you couldn’t get a good cup of coffee, there are now micro-roasters aplenty. Where once your choices were Bud, Miller, or Coors, an array of specialty brews are on tap, often brewed locally. Restaurants are better, with food grown locally and responsibly. Slowly but surely the ship is turning on sustainability, with nascent bike cultures in almost every city, LEED certified buildings, recycling programs, and more. House by house, rehab by rehab, neighborhoods in these cities are starting to come to life."

New people are choosing to live in these areas. Why?
"No, this new generation of urbanists sees these cities with fresh eyes. They see the decay, yes, but also the opportunity—and the possibilities for the present and future. To them this is Rust Belt Chic. It’s the place artists can dream of owning a house. Where they can live in a place with a bit of an authentic edge and real character. Where people can indulge their passion for renovating old architecture without a seven-figure budget. Where they have a chance to make a difference—to be a producer, not just a consumer of urban life, and a new urban future. Above all, these people, natives or newcomers, have a deep and abiding passion and love for the place they’ve chosen—yes, chosen—to live."

St. Louis may be one of those cities that are generally looked down upon, but it has a rich culture and history. And really, where else can you potentially experience a tornado and an earthquake the same day? (Yes, the Mississippi River follows a fault line, in case you didn't know.) St. Louis is interesting and unique and deserves to be revived. We are interested in working with people who want to invest in St. Louis. We are ready to be your property management team as you purchase investment properties. Please contact us today for more information on how we can help you get the most out of your investment properties.

Guest Post from Tony Collins

For the week of March 19, 2012 – Vol. 10, Issue 12

QUOTE OF THE WEEK..."I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy." --Marie Curie

INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE... The Polish physicist and chemist, famous for her pioneering work on radioactivity, could have been describing the U.S. housing market. But we are making progress. Realtor.com reported that the U.S. median list price of homes they track was almost 7% higher in February than a year ago. The web site of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) also reported that the inventory of U.S. for-sale housing is 22% lower than a year ago. Additional progress was seen in the median age of inventory of homes on the site dropping almost 10%, year over year.

Realtor.com summarized the situation this way: "The nation's housing markets as a whole are in better shape today than at any time since the 2009-2010 tax credits." But it should be noted that although current inventory levels are near a two-year low, they're likely to grow a bit during the spring selling season.

BUSINESS TIP OF THE WEEK... Rules (as opposed to laws) aren't there to control us, but to guide us. If you need a creative solution, you may have to break the rules. But that can be profitable, and it's always fun! 


When dealing with your home financing, I not only work with one of your largest personal financial investments; I also handle one of your biggest dreams. As your mortgage planning specialist, I will give you my best consistently. My team specializes in renovation financing both for the purchasing of a home or for renovating a home you already own. In fact, Renovation Loans are all we do. Renovation loans allow you to purchase or refinance and renovate the home in one seamless transaction.

With over 13 years experience working with only Renovation Loans you can trust myself and the rest of the St Louis Renovation Team to help guide you from application to project completion. 

Tony Collins
Renovation Specialist
Office: 314-288-2462
Office: 866-997-0358
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A word from Provident: The housing market is getting ready to rebound. If you are looking to invest in real estate, now would be the time to start. If being a landlord isn't for you, contact us. We are ready to manage your units professionally and competently. 

Housing market rebounding

A news article found on the KMOV website certainly makes the housing market sound promising.

 According to the article: "The past two months made up the best winter for sales of previously occupied homes in five years, when the housing crisis began. And the sales pace in January was the highest since May 2010, the last month that buyers could qualify for a federal home-buying tax credit...

Mortgage rates are near record lows. And the supply of homes fell in January to its lowest level in seven years.
A lower supply helps push up prices, which lures more sellers onto the market and generally improves the quality of homes for sale. Rising prices also boost sales because buyers want to invest in homes that are appreciating in value.
A key reason for the brighter housing outlook is the job market has strengthened. From December through February, employers added an average of 245,000 jobs a month. The unemployment rate has fallen to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years."

If you are looking to invest in prime real estate, now is the time. As the economy recovers more fully, there will be more competition for the best homes available. If you need a property management company, Provident is ready. We are experienced and able to provide all the services you may need. Contact us today for more information.

Put your money where it will return the most

When thinking of updating your home, what comes to mind first? Usually, the kitchen and bathroom are highest on the priority list. These updates can help you sell your own home, make you happier in your own home, or rent out an investment property.

A dirty or outdated kitchen may be perfectly serviceable, but it won't invite prospective tenants into the unit. When trying to lease an investment property, cleanliness is most important. Once the home is clean, any small repairs are easily noticed and fixed. If there are larger cosmetic problems, for example a lime-green laminate countertop with metal edging, some prospective tenants may be willing to overlook them and rent anyway. However, if you have the money, investing in an updated kitchen will help your property rent more quickly. Depending on the era and decor, some renovations may not take that much time or money. Sometimes repainting the cabinets is all that is needed to update a look. Sometimes new hardware and fixtures makes a dramatic improvement. In some situations, the whole thing needs to be gutted. Whatever the situation, the renovation will likely repay itself in the long-run with happy tenants who are willing to pay more for the rental unit.

When deciding what areas of the home to renovate, always consider the return on investment. Especially in investment properties, consider non-specific renovations. The walls don't have to be "realtor beige", but a neutral is more universally acceptable than hot pink. Adding a finished room to the basement will likely increase interest in the unit, as long as it could be whatever the tenant needs- a bedroom, a family room, a media room, a game room, or a home office. Finishing the basement into a media room is great, if the prospective tenants enjoy quality TV time. Otherwise, you are significantly reducing the pool of interested tenants.

If managing your property is becoming overwhelming, Provident Property Management is ready to be your property management team. We will help find new tenants, manage tenants' needs, arrange for maintenance issues to be addressed, and if the property needs some TLC, we will work on making it a desirable place to live. Our passion is helping you get the most from your investment property. So please, contact us today!

Good news for St. Ann

If you live near St Ann, MO (near the St Louis International Airport), there is some good news going around.

According to the St Louis Post Dispatch, "a St. Louis developer has stepped forward with a plan to tear down most of Northwest Plaza — once the largest shopping mall in the world — and replace it with offices, big-box stores and restaurants."

 This redevelopment would bring new vitality to the area. Home prices would likely increase as the surrounding area improves in nature. Luckily, St. Ann has a lot of homes for sale. Now would be a great time to invest in properties in the St. Ann area for rental purposes. If you are considering rental properties as a way to diversify your income, we would like to invite you to consider Provident Property Management for your management team. We will do all we can to get your units ready, rented and reliably maintained. All you have to do is collect a check at the end of the month. Please contact us today for more information.

Single family housing- a bust?

The housing culture in America is strongly biased towards single-family housing. In larger cities, apartments are the norm, but in most places, the suburbs are much more popular. A current idea floating around the real estate market is that single-family housing is going to be losing popularity in the years to come, as more and more people choose to live in apartments and new urban areas. But an article titled Don't Bet Against the (Single-Family) House refutes that claim. There are two major considerations as to why Americans will still prefer single-family housing.

For one, it's part of the culture. Americans like space. They like privacy. They like lush green lawns with barbecues and swimming pools. Okay, maybe that's a bit of a vintage 1950's visual, but you get the idea. When families add children, the great American dream of owning a home suddenly becomes more important also. Like it or not, America is about wide open spaces. We tend to spread out, partly because we can.

Aside from the desire for lots of space, American families are also growing. With the economy in it's current state, it is not uncommon for recent college graduates or newlyweds to move back in with parents. Even some established families are needing to cut costs by living with family. On the other end of the spectrum, aging parents sometimes need a little more help but are unwilling or unable to live in a nursing home. These elderly folks are choosing to live with their children, rather than a home. Multi-generational families, once the province of immigrants, are becoming more mainstream.

So what's the point? Single-family homes offer a great investment opportunity. While owning a home is the goal for most people, obtaining that goal may be a long way off. People need a place to live in the meantime. It can be difficult to find homes to rent in desirable neighborhoods. By investing in single-family housing, you are making a smart choice for sustainable long-term income. Managing those homes can be difficult at times. Our goal at Provident Property Management is to make it easy for you. When you sign on with us, you can rest assured that your property will be well maintained and well managed, leading to a higher return for you. Contact us today for more information.

Historic building tax credit use increasing

Missouri has a lot of history. Though Native Americans lived in the area for a long itme, European colonization started in the 1700s. Statehood was famously granted in 1820 and from there the population grew and grew. Thanks to this long history, there are a lot of historical buildings. Many of them need renovation to make them safe and usable. Missouri has had a Historic Preservation Tax Credit program available to renovators that repays a quarter of the cost to renovate a building. According to a St. Louis Today article, use of those tax credits declined incredibly during the worst of the recession. However, recently there has been an increased interest in the credits. This is a good sign, as it means that the economy is recovering and people are focusing more on preserving the past, rather than just worrying about the present.

While we are not in the business of rehabbing historic buildings, we are in the business of getting your rental property up to snuff so it can be rented quickly and easily. We can help with maintenance issues and arrange for any work that may be scaring renters away from the property. Please contact us for more information.

Don't shoot the messengers.

As we struggle through the low housing market, a lot of people are often upset when the appraisal doesn't come in to match the contract or desired sales price. The Appraisal Institute says "hey, don't blame us!" To quote a recent handout for realtors: "Appraisers don’t set the real estate market; they reflect what’s happening in the market,” Sara W. Stephens, the Appraisal Institute’s president, said in the handout. “Obviously, the market is depressed — home prices have fallen far below the values of a few years ago. Many homes simply aren’t worth what their owners think they are."

Despite the poor market condition for sellers, now is a great time to buy. If you are looking to invest in real estate, please contact us for more information on how we can help. We are ready to be your Property Management company.