By Dennis Norman, on February 12th, 2026 
In the competitive St. Louis real estate market, understanding which school districts are in high demand can be crucial for both home buyers and sellers. Currently, the Columbia DIST 4 in Monroe and St Clair Counties, Illinois, leads the pack as the fastest selling school district. With only 8 listings on the market for an average of 36 days and an average list price of $454,963, this area is attracting families looking for quick transactions and desirable homes. Columbia DIST 4’s appeal is evident in its swift market movement, making it a prime location for those looking to buy or Continue Reading →
By John Donati, on February 7th, 2026 
We have been “debating” housing affordability for years now, but the conversation keeps circling the same drain. There are not enough smaller, attainable homes for first‑time buyers. Nobody disputes that. Everyone agrees it is a problem, most are willing to call it a crisis, and yet, after countless panels, policy papers, incentives, and task forces, the bottleneck is still right where we left it.
If demand for starter housing has been obvious for more than a decade, why does the market still fail to produce it? Is it land costs? Labor shortages? Interest rates? Zoning? Materials? Regulation? Capital? Or is Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on February 6th, 2026 
In my last article, we stepped back from the headlines and looked at what really drives affordability. Not political sound bites. Not whether prices should go up or down. Just the fundamentals. Supply, construction costs, financing, and whether the monthly math works for everyday families.
Once you see it that way, the next question becomes obvious. If those are the levers, how do we actually move them? Just “build more homes” sounds simple until you talk to a builder who cannot make the numbers work. There is no big red easy button, but the good Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on February 5th, 2026 
Spend five minutes with housing headlines lately and you’ll see the same debate on repeat. Prices are too high. Prices need to stay high. Protect homeowners. Help buyers. Every side sounds urgent, and every side sounds certain. It makes for good sound bites. It doesn’t make for very helpful answers.
Because for most families, housing isn’t a political talking point. It’s deeply personal. It’s whether they can finally stop renting. Whether their kids get their own bedrooms. Whether retirement feels secure. Whether a move across town is possible without blowing up the monthly budget. And when Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on February 3rd, 2026 
Every morning I walk past 751 North Taylor. Most days it looks the same. Quiet. Steady. Like it has been there forever. In a way, it has. It is not the largest house on the block. It does not have the newest finishes or the sharpest curb appeal. At first glance, it simply looks like an older home that has quietly watched the neighborhood grow up around it.
But look a little closer and you are looking at something rare. The house is believed to date back to around 1858, making it one of the oldest surviving Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on February 3rd, 2026 
When two incomes make one mortgage possible
For years, the path to homeownership followed a predictable script. You finished school, settled into a job, maybe got married, and then you bought a house together. Lately, though, I’m watching buyers in St. Louis rewrite that story.
More often, I’m working with people who aren’t couples at all. They’re friends who have rented together for years, siblings who get along well enough to share a kitchen, or longtime roommates who are simply tired of watching rent checks disappear every month. Instead of waiting for the “traditional” setup, they’re Continue Reading →
By John Donati, on January 26th, 2026 
Most consumers assume real estate agents build their business through relationships, local knowledge, and referrals. Many do. Others operate very differently.
For years, scores of agents have relied heavily on purchased leads from third-party companies like Zillow, Trulia, etc., often at significant monthly cost. The consumer rarely sees this distinction and likely doesn’t know they are being sold to the highest bidder, yet it quietly shapes how the business operates. Is that approach inherently wrong? Or is it simply a reflection of how the business is structured? And, if structure drives behavior, who is actually in control?
Over time, most Continue Reading →
By Cathy Lirette, on January 26th, 2026 
I don’t just work in Gray Summit, I live here. Like many of my neighbors, I chose this area for the open land, quiet setting, and small-community feel. That’s why the proposed data center off Robertsville Road has sparked so many conversations, both personally and professionally.
As a local resident and real estate broker, I’ve been hearing the same questions from homeowners and buyers alike: What does this mean for our community? And how could it affect home values? Unlike a factory or corporate campus, a data center doesn’t bring a large permanent workforce once construction is complete. That means Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 26th, 2026 
When a real estate transaction slows down, most buyers and sellers assume the issue is the inspection. A roof concern, an aging system, or something else visible and measurable that everyone can point to. Inspections are tangible. Buyers attend them, reports are long, and repair negotiations can get emotional. When momentum slows, it feels logical to look there first.
But that assumption does not always hold up. Sometimes a closing stalls for a reason no one saw coming, and the problem has nothing to do with the condition of the house itself. Instead, it has everything Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 25th, 2026 
Homeowners researching how to sell their house today will quickly run into a wave of articles and websites promising savings through FSBO or so-called “discount” and “low-commission” broker models. Sites like Clever Real Estate, Houzeo, and others publish polished guides comparing traditional agents, flat-fee MLS services, and selling without representation altogether. The message is consistent: full-service agents are expensive, FSBO is risky, and the smart middle ground is a reduced-fee agent matched to you by a national platform. It sounds reasonable, and it is presented as consumer advocacy. But the economics behind those promises deserve a closer look.
Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 24th, 2026 
What Buyers Should Watch for When a Home Looks “Updated”
Walking into a freshly renovated home can feel like a deep exhale. New floors. Fresh paint. Updated fixtures. Someone already did the hard work, right?
Maybe.
For many buyers, especially first-time buyers, excitement plus staging is a powerful distraction. The house smells clean. The furniture is perfectly placed. The lighting is flattering. And before you know it, your brain quietly clocks out while your heart starts imagining Thanksgiving in the dining room.
That is usually when the house starts telling on itself.
Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 23rd, 2026 
Dual agency is legal in Missouri, but it is frequently misunderstood. At first glance, it can sound efficient. One agent. One transaction. Fewer moving parts. What is often overlooked is the trade-off. When dual agency is established, the agent must step back from full advocacy for both the buyer and the seller.That limitation is significant, and it fundamentally changes the agent’s role in the transaction.
Understanding that shift is essential before agreeing to dual agency.
What dual agency means in Missouri
In Missouri, dual agency occurs when the same brokerage represents both the buyer Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 22nd, 2026 
Few phrases in real estate create more confusion than “As-Is.”
Buyers often see it as a warning label.Sellers sometimes view it as a shield.In reality, it is neither.
I regularly hear buyers say they will not even consider a home once they see “As-Is” in the listing. I also frequently hear buyers assume that “As-Is” means the seller is desperate or that the property can be purchased for pennies on the dollar. That expectation rarely aligns with reality. In most cases, the seller has already considered the condition of the home and priced it Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 22nd, 2026 
For many years, homeowners insurance followed a predictable script. The house itself mattered most. Age of the roof. Square footage. Replacement cost. Claims history.
That is changing.
Across the St. Louis region, insurance underwriting is becoming increasingly location-specific, meaning where a home sits now plays a larger role in coverage terms and pricing than many buyers and sellers expect. This shift is not universal across all insurers, but it is widespread enough to be affecting real estate transactions in noticeable ways.
Communities like Eureka often feel this change sooner, not because something Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 19th, 2026 Seventeen years ago, on the day we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I wrote the article below on a personal blog. This morning, while reflecting on Dr. King’s legacy, I revisited it and felt it was still as relevant and meaningful today as it was then. While a few of the statistics are now outdated, the message and intent remain important and timely. So, in honor of Dr. King’s birthday today, I’m republishing it with some updates and perspective for 2026.
Originally published January 19, 2009…
Today we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 19th, 2026 
The little brick bungalow on a quiet tree-lined street.The creaky front porch where neighbors waved and kids dropped their bikes in a heap.The basement that smelled faintly like mildew and ambition, where a ping pong table leaned against wood-paneled walls and a “rec room” became the setting for birthday parties, teenage angst, and late-night conversations.
Most of us in St. Louis grew up in some version of that house.
It was not fancy. It was not open concept. The refrigerator was probably avocado or harvest gold. There was a “good couch” nobody was allowed Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 18th, 2026 
Recent U.S. Census data confirmed that the St. Louis metro added population last year.
But the bigger question clients keep asking me is this: are we actually growing, or are people simply moving around inside the region?
For years, the St. Louis region has worn a familiar label. Flat. Stagnant. Losing people.
So when a client recently asked me a deceptively simple question, it stopped me in my tracks.
Is Greater St. Louis actually growing, or are people just moving from one municipality to another inside the same metro?
It is a fair question. It is also a more important Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 17th, 2026 
When a multi‑billion‑dollar development is proposed a few blocks from someone’s front porch, it stops being a business headline and becomes a neighborhood story.
The newly unveiled plan to transform the historic Armory and the adjacent former Macy’s/Famous‑Barr warehouse into what developers are calling the Armory Innovation District is one of the largest private development proposals the region has seen in years. It includes renovation of the Armory into office space and construction of a hyperscale data center on the warehouse site, with a stated goal of positioning St. Louis as a serious player in the national tech and AI Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 17th, 2026 
The SLT Market Chart below, available exclusively from MORE, REALTORS®, shows a full monthly history of St. Louis MSA home sales since 1999, and if you’re a data geek (like me) or just trying to get a real read on where this market is going, this chart is gold.
Here’s what stands out immediately: 2021 was the peak, no debate. In September 2021, the 12-month rolling total for home sales in the St. Louis metro hit 48,633 homes, an all-time high. For the calendar year 2021, sales totaled 48,328. Nothing before or after even comes close.
Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 16th, 2026 
In the dynamic real estate market of the St. Louis metropolitan area, certain zip codes are experiencing rapid sales, making them hotspots for both buyers and sellers. Leading the pack is a zip code in St. Clair, Illinois, where homes are flying off the market in just 19 days on average. With five active listings, the average list price stands at an attractive $54,580, presenting a unique opportunity for families looking to settle in a vibrant community.
Close behind is a zip code in Clinton, Illinois, where properties spend an average of 37 days on the market, followed by a Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 15th, 2026 
How Entry-Level Homes Got Bigger, Fancier and Harder To Afford
Ask three different generations what a starter home looks like and you will get three very different answers.
Your grandparents might picture a 2-bedroom bungalow with 1 bath, wood paneling and a carport. Your parents might think of a 3-bed, 1.5-bath ranch that needed wallpaper scraped and a deck added someday. A lot of today’s buyers walk into their first place looking for an en suite bath, walk-in closets, an attached garage and a kitchen that is already Instagram ready.
Starter homes have not disappeared in St. Louis, but Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 15th, 2026 
The City of Ballwin will officially expand its municipal boundaries in April after city officials approved plans to annex two residential neighborhoods and a school currently located in unincorporated St. Louis County.
Annexations are far less common today than they were decades ago, which makes Ballwin’s decision notable. While modest in scale, the move offers insight into how municipalities across St. Louis County are quietly rethinking governance, service delivery, and long-term planning.
Annexation is the legal process by which a city brings nearby land into its municipal boundaries. While it once played a major Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 15th, 2026 
When people talk about what drives home values, the same factors tend to dominate the conversation. Interest rates. Inventory. Schools. Taxes.
What receives far less attention is public park investment, even though in communities like Eureka, it plays a meaningful role in shaping buyer behavior and long-term market stability.
This is not about trendy amenities or short-term demand spikes. It is about how permanently protected land, trail systems, and outdoor infrastructure function as a form of market stability that does not fluctuate with economic cycles.
Parks as Fixed Infrastructure
Route 66 Park Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 12th, 2026 
If you want a quick snapshot of how people feel about change in Kirkwood, you do not need a formal survey. You just need to scroll for a moment. Reactions to the newly approved downtown apartment project range from enthusiastic to uneasy, with plenty of thoughtful pause in between.
That mix of responses makes this a good moment to step back and look at what was approved, what it replaces, and why this particular project is sparking conversation.
First, a quick clarification
This project is separate from the previously discussed development planned between South Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 12th, 2026
Home buyers and sellers in the St. Louis metropolitan area, encompassing both Missouri and Illinois, are witnessing a dynamic real estate market, particularly in school districts where homes are selling rapidly. Leading the charge is the Bayless School District in St. Louis, boasting 14 active listings that typically spend just 38 days on the market, with an average list price of $209,571. This district’s swift turnover highlights its appeal to families seeking a vibrant community with accessible amenities.
Following closely is the Wolf Branch DIST 113 in St. Clair, Illinois, where properties average 42 days on the market, reflecting strong Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 8th, 2026 
Housing affordability has returned to the national conversation. Recently, a senior White House economic adviser said the entire Cabinet is working on ideas to address housing challenges across the country. No formal policy has been released yet, but the statement itself has prompted questions in local markets like St. Louis.
The most important question for homeowners, buyers, and builders here is not what Washington is saying today, but what could realistically change looking ahead to 2026.
St. Louis Has Housing. The Issue Is Fit.
St. Louis does not face the same inventory crisis as Continue Reading →
By Karen Moeller, on January 7th, 2026 
Because changing the messenger doesn’t change the message.
When a home doesn’t sell, the most tempting explanation is also the simplest one.
“It must be the agent.”
That conclusion feels productive. Change the sign. Change the outcome.
But in the St. Louis market, most stalled listings aren’t suffering from a marketing problem. They’re stalled because a hard decision hasn’t been made yet.
Price versus reality.
I recently worked with a seller who had already tested the market once. When we looked at the data together, one Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on January 1st, 2026 
Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, I want to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Happy and Blessed New Year. Whether 2025 brought you joy, challenges, or a little of both, today marks a fresh start filled with new opportunities and possibilities. Here’s to health, happiness, and success in the year ahead!
If you’re thinking about making a move in 2026, whether it’s buying your first home, moving up, downsizing, or investing—this is a great time to start planning. The real estate market is always shifting, and having an experienced, knowledgeable team on Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on December 26th, 2025 
The most expensive home sold in the St Louis metro area in 2025 (based on MLS data reported to MARIS) was the former home of St Louis Cardinals outfielder Jim Edmonds. Located at 16 Bridle Lane in Frontenac, this 17,200 square foot estate sold in May for $7.75 million, making it the top sale price for the year.
Built in 2020 and sitting on nearly 3 acres in the Ladue School District, this contemporary-style home features 7 bedrooms, 11 baths, a wine cellar that opens into the dining room, an 8-car garage, private putting green, resort-style pool, firepit, and even Continue Reading →
By Dennis Norman, on December 24th, 2025 
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has weighed in on the Davis v. Hanna Holdings case with a formal Statement of Interest, and it’s a clear signal to the real estate industry. The DOJ argues that real estate trade association rules, specifically those requiring sellers to offer compensation to buyers’ agents, may violate antitrust laws and deserve full scrutiny. For anyone who thought the pressure on commission practices might let up, this filing confirms the opposite.
What makes this noteworthy is the DOJ’s insistence that rules created and enforced by associations like the National Association of REALTORS® are not exempt Continue Reading →
|
Recent Articles
Helpful Real Estate Resources
|
