I was within a whisker of having my 2nd best year ever in 2021, after my best year in 2020! I appreciate my clients for continuing to support my real estate business so well, that I am now planning an expansion:

Exciting News - After being on my own for 3.5 years, and having excellent marketing support from Sue and Tracy, it is time for me to add a part time Office Administrator! I am actively searching for an assistant to help me run my office starting in February, and provide support for 2 licensed agents as they are brought on this summer. Hours are flexible and most work can be done remotely.

With a growing clientele and high demand for my real estate services, this will free up some of my time from doing computer and administrative tasks, so I am able to continue giving clients the services that they have come to know and expect, while still personally representing them throughout the entire selling and buying process.

The last 3 months have been almost non-stop sales activity for me right thru the holidays, with brief respites thankfully, for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I believe more buyers are waiting til "the slow time of year", or what used to be, from November to January, to avoid competition. I must say the last 2 winters have not seen much of a slowdown, and while there is less competition, there is still high demand for the fewer homes that come on the market. A real early spring you might call it.

Here is my sales tip for 2022: Get your contractors lined up early this year, and be prepared to pay substantially more. Have your service and repair receipts handy to show the buyers. With labor and supply shortages, home repair and improvement costs are jumping quickly, and you have to wait longer. This puts a crimp in getting repairs done between contract inspections and closing. Just one more reason why sellers LOVE getting an offer where they do not have to do any repairs, even if you reserve the right to inspect and terminate. Also, do not wait til contract time to order code inspections. All violations should be cleared by market debut to aid in buyer acceptance and avoid contractor delays.

I will offer my annual roundup of STL real estate in a couple weeks, to review appreciation rates and market demand.

Have a Happy, Safe and Prosperous New Year!