http://stldevelops.com STL Develops discusses investments in St. Louis Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:01:42 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en MetroLink is at a crossroads. Faced with budget restraints Metro is either going to have to reduce services if funding levels remain the same or expand service if St. Louis County voters approve a 1/2 cent sales tax increase to along with an already approved city increase. In ... http://stldevelops.com/metro-public-transportation-in-st-louis-and-sales-tax-increase I want to start off by saying that I believe the United States is an amazing place to live.  After traveling to 10 different countries in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, I think the US is actually one of the least prejudice places I have been in the ... http://stldevelops.com/fha-and-segregation-in-st-louis This Old House Magazine recently rated the Shaw neighborhood as one of the top places to buy an old home in the Midwest.  They site the Victorian era neighborhood’s beautiful homes, wide streets, and proximity to Tower Grove Park and the Botanical Garden as aesthetically pleasing features that make the ... http://stldevelops.com/shaw-neighborhood-investment While we’ve all seen the doom and gloom news reports about the state of the real estate market , it is a fact that St. Louis is really better off than most metropolitan areas according to Forbes . While I can tell you as a real estate professional that this ... http://stldevelops.com/forbes-ranks-st-louis-as-the-number-3-best-metropolitan-area-to-buy-real-estate      As 100% financing options are becoming a thing of the past in the conventional financing market, FHA is becoming a more prominent financing mechanism for people buying a home in the St. Louis Real Estate Market.  Some of the reasons people typically do not want to use HUD financing is ... http://stldevelops.com/fha-financing-a-coming-force-in-the-st-louis-real-estate-market A recent story by NPR suggests that areas with long commutes are seeing the largest drops in home prices. Also, areas near the city center are actually faring better. The example in this story is the Washington DC area, which has some of the longest commutes in the country. St. ... http://stldevelops.com/sprawling-future I’m going to begin a new feature where I examine one neighborhood per week and give a general overview and opinion of investment in the neighborhood. I’m going to start with Tower Grove South because it is one of my favorite neighborhoods and one I’m very familiar ... http://stldevelops.com/tower-grove-south One of the fastest growing trends in commerical and residential construction is Green Building.  I've often considered adapting green building ideas to a rehab.  I was pleased to find out that The American Society of Interior Designers Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council has written the nation's first green ... http://stldevelops.com/green-rehab-guide According to the  Commercial outlook  published by the National Association of Realtors for first quarter of 2008: “The Mid-West continues to experience industrial and office difficulties. Markets like Detroit and St. Louis as well as many markets in Ohio could certainly use a boost in the economy. Until that happens, ... http://stldevelops.com/st-louis-commercial-real-estate-2008 According to a release by the St. Louis Business Journal , Missouri and Illinois officials have agreed to build a new Mississippi River Bridge at a cost of $640 million. There are four lanes, two in each direction, planned for this bridge, which will link Missouri and Illinois ... http://stldevelops.com/new-mississippi-river-bridge-2