St. Louis Weekend Happenings: September 11- September 13

Hey, hey St. Louis!  The weekend forecast predicts cool Fall temperatures and our city boasts a calendar packed with family-friendly outdoor events. Three of my favorites this weekend...

Saint Louis Art Fair in Downtown Clayton

Friday:  5-10p
Saturday: 11-10p
Sunday: 11-5p

The Saint Louis Art Fair (SLAF) is a family-friendly and FREE free 3 day celebration of the visual and performing arts, held  in Clayton's central downtown business district. The Art Fair presents fantastic art in numerous mediums, live performances, hands on activities for children, and showcases some of St. Louis' top restaurants. The Art Fair collaborates with over 20 local not-for-profit arts organizations giving them the opportunity to generate earned income and access to over 130,000 potential patrons.

Learn more here:  http://www.culturalfestivals.com/


LouFest 2015

Saturday and Sunday in Forest Park

Loufest returns to Forest Park this weekend for an exciting 6th installment, delivering a weekend of activity, amazing food, and live music including headliners like Umphrey McGhee, Billy Idol, and Ludacris. A peek at last year's fun...

Tickets are required.  Learn more here:  http://www.loufest.com/

Schlafly Art Outside Festival

Friday:  5-10p
Saturday: 10-10p
Sunday: 12-4p 

Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood
#7260 Southwest Avenue

Schlafly's Art Outside is a 3 day juried alternative art fair featuring over 50 local artists, live music, and the brewery's finest brews! Hosted at the Maplewood location, this popular event attracts over 15K people each year! 

Learn more here: 
http://schlafly.com/events/calendar/2015/09/11/art-outside

What my clients are saying...

My client, Dawn, was kind enough to write a client recommendation on my LinkedIn page...

"Carrie really looked out for me when I purchased my home. She not only was great to work with, but she made sure that the sales contract included language that protected my interests. The builder later went bankrupt and her foresight guaranteed that the work he agreed to complete was actually completed. I highly recommend Carrie."

Service Category:   Real Estate Agent
Year first hired:       2007
Top Qualities:          Great Results, Personable, Expert

Dawn bought a fabulous Clayton condo in the Demun area, but man... the deal was tough.  The owner of the complex was extremely difficult to negotiate with, though all worked out in the end.  The condo boasted the ideal location, amenities, and finishes that she sought... so we diligently worked to ensure all of the contractual documents covered any future potential issues.  


In some situations, foreclosure is a blessing in disguise for condo owners.  I have personally witnessed this several times over the past few years.  With a super strong group of fantastic neighbors, they have successfully righted all of the wrongs made by the past owner! 


Happy ending.  Great friend.  Miss you, Dawn!

#400 Edgewood - Clayton...

A Buyer of mine has been combing the Clayton/ Richmond Heights area for some time in search of the perfect property for her downsize. During my MLS search this AM, I bumped into this adorable 85-year old Clayton brick bungalow and was incredibly charmed. So much potential!

With a little thought and decorative flair to emphasize the original architectural bones and goodies, this 2 bedroom/2 bath/1800 square foot foreclosure could be a total stunner.
The location of this property is incredible - near Hanley and Forest Park Parkway, just steps from downtown Clayton and blocks from 2 Metrolink stations. The property is bank-owned, hence the sale is 100% as-is. The list price, super low for Clayton, is $294,900.

Full listing can be found HERE. For more information or a private tour, contact me at cnenonen@cbgundaker.com or 314.452.7675.

All that glitters is gold in Clayton tonight...

No one kicks off the holiday season like lovely Downtown Clayton?! Throw on a scarf, pack up the family, and join the fun! This evening the Clayton Chamber of Commerce and local business owners host their annual "All That Glitters" event in downtown Clayton.

Nothing says "Tis' the Season" like hot chocolate, carolers, FREE ice skating in Shaw Park's outdoor Ice Rink between 6 and 11 p.m., horse drawn carriage rides, bonfires, and a fireworks display at 8 p.m.

NITTY GRITTY:
December 3 - 6 pm to 8pm

Clayton Shaw Park
111 S. Brentwood Blvd.
Clayton, MO 63105

For more information, call: 314-802-7763

Weekend Happenings...

Yes, yes... it is that time of year again, St. Louis! The St. Louis Art Fair (in downtown Clayton) is this weekend! Ranked 2nd in the ArtFair SourceBook's ranking of Top Fine Art Events for 2010 and 5th in their ranking of Top 25 Contemporary Craft Fairs Nationwide... this event draws THOUSANDS to the heart of Clayton every year.

Clayton is known as the epicenter of the St. Louis public art scene and acts as the perfect backdrop for this annual favorite!

NITTY GRITTY:

HOURS...

Friday, September 10 - 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday, September 11 - 10:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday, September 12 - 11:00am to 4:00pm

PRICE...

Admission is free

FOR MORE INFO...

HERE is a link to their event publication with exhibitor info and daily schedule. HERE is a blog entry of what you can expect from the 2010 event.

Clayton, Missouri talk...

As far as St. Louis desirability goes, Clayton has always been somewhere near the top of most Buyer's wish list within the Central Corridor. Thanks to a perfectly central location, walking neighborhoods, a tight knit community, an array of uber popular community events, the traditional architecture that St. Louisans covet, Suburban amenities with a more urban flavor thanks to the hip and bustling epicenter, and nationally recognized top rated public schools...Clayton has distinguished itself as one of the most popular St. Louis municipalities.

Clayton has managed to achieve and maintain the delicate balance between city and county, thus appeasing those in search of excellent public schools without diving into the depths of more western Suburbia. As a result of all of these factors (in addition to the ability to get ANYWHERE in the city from Clayton's center within 15 minutes), 63105 retains its property value like no other zip code in the city.

That being said, the goodies come at a price.

Since receiving my license in 2001, I cannot COUNT the amount of Buyers I have worked with who initially desired the Clayton area (part of Richmond Heights is in Clayton Schools, as well), only to discover that it wasn't financially realistic for them. The reality is that over the past 10 years, it has been extremely difficult to find ANYTHING in the Clayton school district for under 400K. Period. Particularly between 2003 and 2007, even a 2 bed, 1 bath, fixer upper SLAB in a FLOOD PLAIN in Clayton was over 400K?! Simply, most Buyers aren't willing to sacrifice the space and amenities per square footage that Clayton lacks for the zip code.

Times are changing though.

The one real pro of the feeble real estate market? A drive-down in property value in some of the city's most popular regions for area Buyers. Buyers are finding deals that they haven't seen in DECADES, and some of the most exciting are in the areas most popular like Clayton.

If you considered Clayton a few years ago, only to discover that you couldn't afford to buy there... I encourage you to look again! The prices have and ARE dropping dramatically. Hence, AMAZING investment opportunities currently exist in Clayton. For example, HERE are the current active listings in Clayton schools under 500K as of this AM. A handful of years ago, you would have been LUCKY to find ONE?! Now, SEVERAL listings under 300K?! Amazing.

If you have questions about any of the linked properties or are curious as to what else is out there... email Carrie at cdnandthecity@charter.net or call me at 314-452-7675 .

#55 Broadview Drive - Clayton...

I have always loved the Claverach Park subdivision in Clayton, as it's conveniently located near Big Bend and Clayton and is just a couple of blocks of Oak Knoll Park. This 84 year old 1.5 story stucco bungalow is currently being offered by Coldwell Banker Gundaker for $615,000. It has been on the market for 184 days. The original asking price was $800,000. It has undergone ELEVEN price reductions, and has been at the current price since 10/21. This is an amazing Buyer opportunity in one of the best public school districts in the state.

The property boasts 3 bedrooms, 4 baths, gorgeous woodwork, a private and wooded lot, a number of updates, and approved architectural plans for a 2 story expansion with a 3 car garage and new luxury Master Suite... For more information about this property or to request a showing, please email me at cdnandthecity@charter.net or call the CBG listing office at 314-993-8000.

St. Louis Art Fair in Clayton...

If looking for plans this weekend, check out the 16th Annual St. Louis Art Fair. Voted one of the top art fairs in the country, this festival is a FREE event that is located in the heart of Clayton every year. Over two hundred artists have been selected to exhibit their work on the streets of Downtown Clayton. In addition, twenty of St. Louis' most outstanding restaurants will be featured on Culinary Row.

With an array of entertaining arts, children's activities like The Creative Castle and musical performances on five stages, the event promises something wonderful for all ages.

Hours:

Friday, September 11 - 5 pm to 10 pm

Saturday, September 12 - 10 am to 10 pm

Sunday, September 13 - 11 am to 4 pm