Kristina Pratt, Realtor - St. Louis' Illinois Suburbs

Selling Your Home On Your Own

If you need to sell your home, and you are considering doing it on your own, it is probably
because you are trying to save the commission. Don't let someone tell you that it is
impossible, because it isn't. There are plenty of owners who successfully sell on their own.
Over the years, we have helped these owners and found that the most common issue for
owners is that they didn't realize the commitment and effort it would take. For a lot of them, it
became a full-time job.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you put the sign in your yard.

• How will I determine my asking price? Should I get an appraisal?
  
• What will I do if someone wants to put an offer on my house? What happens next?
  
• Where should I advertise my house?
  
• How much money should I spend on advertising?
  
• What will I do if an inspection comes back badly?
  
• Are there government or county inspections I have to have performed?
  
• How do I know if the buyer is qualified?
  
• What is earnest money, and how much should I ask for?
  
• Do I have a marketing strategy?
  
• Will I be safe allowing strangers into my home? (We care about you and the safety of
  your family. Due to recent events in our area involving agents, please click here for
  free safety tips.)
  
• Will my house be able to sell in a reasonable time if I can only show it on evenings
  and weekends when I'm not at work?
  
• Am I able to negotiate the price and details of my sale without letting my emotions
  interfere and affect my bottom line?
  
• How will I get enough exposure to get the best price possible without listing in the
  MLS?

If you would like the answer to any of these questions, please contact us. We are happy to help you sell on your own with no sales pressure or obligation. Why? The answer is simple. There might come a day when you need the services of a Realtor, such as in aiding you with the purchase of your next home, or you may recommend us to a friend or family member.

Visit us online at www.JustDuckyHomes.com for more information about how we can help you meet your real estate goals.

Glen Ed Pantry Needs You

Tough economic times mean that more families this year will not have a Thanksgiving meal. Local food pantries are reporting more food going out than ever, and they are struggling to keep up with demand. The Glen Ed Food Pantry is a collaboration of 18 different churches. It serves over 300 families per month in southern Madison County.

The pantry provides regular, emergency and referral services that include: food, clothing, rent and utility assistance, school supplies, Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets. Glen Ed Pantry is part of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

They are located at 125 5th Avenue in Edwardsville. For more information about donating food, money or your time please visit them online at www.glenedpantry.org If you live outside of Madison County, you can also visit www.unitedway.org to find a pantry near you.

Now that the crisp autumn air is finally settling into the St. Louis area, it means just one thing - Halloween is just around the corner!

In my family, we always make a trip to Grafton to pick out the perfect Halloween pumpkin and buy our yearly supply of homemade jams and apple butter. Then we'd head across the Illinois river on the ferry into Calhoun County. At Kampsville Inn, we stop and enjoy some freshly caught river fish and onion petals.

Even though I'm approaching 28 years old, my parents and I continue to take this time together each and every year. This has been a tradition since I was about 2 years old, and I don't think it will ever stop. Every year we still pile into the car and head north from Alton up the Great River Road.

Everyone knows about New England in the fall, but we are pretty darn lucky here to have a beautiful color palette of leaves ourselves. If you've never taken the time to take a drive on the Great River Road in autumn, you're really missing out on some of the best natural beauty our area has to offer.

Besides the Great River Road, there are loads of other activities all around the area. There is definitely something for every budget and every age.

We'll start north of St. Louis and head south from there

Eckerts Grafton Farm
20995 Eckert Orchard Road
Grafton, IL 62037
Now Open. 9 am - 5 pm daily
Phone: (618) 233-0513
www.eckerts.com

Pick-Your-Own Pumpkins and Apples. The cost of pick-your-own pumpkins is $0.39 per pound.

Great Godfrey Maze
1401 Stamper Lane
Godfrey, IL 62035
Phone: (618) 466-1483
www.greatgodfreymaze.com

OPEN:
September 5 - October 26th
Friday: 6 - 10 PM
Saturday: 11AM - 10PM
Sunday: 1PM - Dusk

The Great Godfrey Maze is two maze trails cut into 7-acres of corn in Glazebrook Park. Visitors from all over can enjoy getting lost in the maze's twisting turns, dead-ends and traps.

Reinhardt's Berry Patch
7503 Kerin Road,
Alhambra, IL 62001
Phone: (618) 633-2888

Pumpkins and gourds. Call for availability and picking appointments.

Eckerts Belleville Farm
951 Green Mount Road
Belleville, IL 62220

Country Store: 8 am - 8 pm daily
Country Restaurant: 7 am - 9 pm daily
Garden Center: 9 am - 7 pm daily
Custard Shop: 11 am - 9 pm

Pick-Your-Own Pumpkins and Apples is open at all three farms.

Eckerts Millstadt Farm
Weekends in October, 2008
2719 Eckert Orchard Ln
Millstadt, IL 62260
Phone: (618) 476-3260

Their pumpkin patch has any size pumpkin you can imagine, including ones that weigh up to 150 pounds. During weekends in October, Eckert's is hosting its Jumpin' Pumpkin Jamboree with wagon rides, live music and funnel cakes. The Millstadt location also offers Haunted Hayrides through the orchard.

Alton Halloween Parade
Begins at Washington Avenue and Broadway

10/31 at 7:00 PM
E Broadway & Washington Ave
Alton, IL 62002

Selling your property can be one of the most stressful events in your life. Our job is to make the process of your sale as simplified and worry-free as possible. We don't just stick a sign in the yard, put it in the paper a few times and walk away. We actively market, using an established network of relationships among agents and the community, as well as leading-edge technology to find the right buyer for your home. You will be kept informed every step of the way, and be given clear explanations to educate you on the best options for your unique situation.

But don't just take our word for it... here is what our clients say:

"This is a long-over due letter to tell you how much my family and I appreciate all your hard work to sell our home. From our first meeting with Nancy to look at purchasing a home to our last interaction to say "You sold your house!", the two of you have been professional, courteous, empathetic, diligent, humorous, and just flat-out awesome!

When we suddenly decided to move across the state to be near family, leaving the house behind, we felt confident in your abilities to handle everything from afar. And you did not let us down! Getting two offers within two weeks of leaving, we never had to come back to town! You made sure everything we needed was right in front of us, and you worked really hard to accommodate our access to computer, fax and the like.

All I can say is THANK YOU. I really came to feel like you two were family, and I only wish that you could be here with us in Milwaukee when we go house hunting next spring. I will continue to tell my friends in Madison County how amazing the two of you are, and I wish you many many years of continued success. We wish both of you amazing happiness, because that's what you brought us! -- Meaghan"

"Once again I'd like to thank you for all of your help in making the sale of my property at 30 Grainey so
very successful. In every way that I can think of; your professionalism was and is outstanding. Thank you very much. -- Steve"

Contact us today to find out about our unique and aggressive marketing plan. There is no doubt the market has changed. Your agent should change with market conditions as well. Visit our website, call or e-mail us today for more information at no obligation to you.

Nancy Milton, Realtor/GRI
Kristina Pratt, Realtor
618-791-8007 Nancy
618-917-0775 Kristina

Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors
2205 S State Route 157
Edwardsville, IL 62025

When I was growing up as a young kid in Alton, I loved every minute of it. Every September my parents would take me to the Alton Expo downtown on the river. In October we'd head to Grafton to pick out the perfect Halloween pumpkin. The fun didn't stop in winter, spring or summer either. I may not have grown-up in the country, but small town values were instilled in me none the less.

At the age of fourteen, my parents move from Alton to a small town about 30 minutes north east called Bunker Hill. I graduated from Bunker Hill High School (Go Minutemen!) with a class of 24. I spent my teenage years cruising the main drag, stopping at the Village Drive-In for a burger or cherry Mountain Dew and enjoying the quiet reflection of a country night.

After college, I decided to venture out into the world. My aunt had recently moved to Las Vegas. After a Christmas trip out to the desert to visit her, I fell in love with America's City of Lights. I moved to Las Vegas where I met my husband, Jeff. After a few years, we decided to come back to my hometown to raise our future children and allow my dream of being a Realtor to come true.

Why did we come back? The reason is simple. Home was the place that I knew my kids would grow up happy and with a sense of community. Home prices are affordable, and our communities are stable. I missed Midwestern values, and I missed the sense of community that I can only find here.

People that live here treat each other with respect. We care about our families, neighbors and even strangers. We're a short drive from the culture and big city atmosphere of St. Louis, yet we're lucky enough to have countless places on our side of the river to enjoy the simpler things in life.

Whether it's admiring the orange and crimson leaves that burst with color along the Great River Road during autumn, witnessing breath taking fireworks over the Arch on the 4th of July, taking in the smell of spring flowers at the Botanical Garden, or enjoying a sled ride down your backyard hill in winter - it's always a great time to live in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs. I can't think of many places I'd rather be.