safety

It's been a long time coming, but I finally have begun rolling out the new neighborhood profile pages on this website. Each profile will display all the blog stories posted on that area, preset MLS searches for real estate, important contacts and links on the neighborhood, neighborhood history and a look at housing trends and statistics....

If you've ever been curious about where and when crimes have been taking place in the City of St. Louis, there is a great tool courtesy of CrimeReports.com and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. This free service allows you to map crimes by type, date and area....

A drive down the streets in the City of St. Louis after dark can be a telling thing. Some streets that seem great during the day show a different face at night. One of the most telling things about an area during the night is not the curb appeal of a house, but the quality of  lighting along the street. As a property owner, you don't really have much too say about the streetlights, but lighting your own...

Last night at 2am I got a surprising wake-up call: the alarm was going off at my rehab project in Tower Grove South. The police were already there and requesting a key-holder to come over. Upon arriving on the scene I witnessed the sobering site of a backdoor kicked in....

I'm certainly no stranger to visiting shady buildings. I have been going into vacant houses all over the area for years. Mostly by myself. I understand the risk and accept it. But that doesn't mean that property owners and their real estate agents don't have some level of responsiblity in making sure the property is safe....

Just like radiators, I've always thought window air conditioners get an unfairly bad wrap. They are relatively cheap (usually between $100 and $300 per unit), most models are efficient if properly installed and there is no need to install expensive ductwork throughout the building....

When you’re standing on a deck or any man-made structure, do you ever wonder who built it and if they knew what they were doing. When looking at properties, these questions should be considered. And if you’re doing the work yourself, it’s always important to make sure that it is being done right. Failing to do so can cost a lot of money and even lives....

The tuckpointing in your brick building is starting to decay. Cracks are forming and small chunks of mortar are beginning to fall out. Sounds like you're due to take on the "not too difficult" but time consuming task of tuckpointing. Time to head on down to the nearest Home Depot or Lowes at stock up on tuckpointing supplies and ready mix mortar. Right? If you are tuckpointng an older building like those...