St. Chaz Co. to be assessed

Contact: Scott Shipman, Assessor, 636-949-7425
Brenda Muschany, Assistant Assessor, 636-949-7442

Assessor to Send Valuation Notices
(St. Charles County, MO - Mon, March 19, 2007)

St. Charles County Assessor Scott Shipman reports the near completion of the 2007 reassessment of real estate. State law requires the Assessor to revalue all real property in the county every odd-numbered year for property tax purposes. The statutes require the Assessor to place accurate values on property as of January 1 of each reassessment cycle. The current values reflect the change in value since January 1, 2005.

The assessment authority (Assessor’s Office) is responsible for establishing the fair market value of all property within St. Charles County as of the tax date. This assures fair distribution of the tax burden among those responsible for payment. The taxing authority (school, city, fire districts, etc.) establishes the tax rate based on the budgetary requirements needed to appropriately fund the services provided within their jurisdiction. When property values increase, all taxing entities are responsible for rolling back their levies to offset the valuation increase subject to the Hancock Amendment.

Assessment notices are designed to be easy to read and include information on property tax relief, frequently asked questions, and information on the appeal process.
The St. Charles County Assessor’s Office will mail the 2007 "NOTICES OF REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT" for the Washington, Wentzville, and St. Charles School Districts on or about March 20, 2007. The Fort Zumwalt and Orchard Farm School District notices are scheduled to be mailed on or about March 26, 2007 and the Francis Howell School District notices are scheduled to be mailed on or about April 2, 2007.

Taxpayers have ten days from the mailed date on the notice to schedule an informal hearing with a staff member from the Assessors office. This can be done by calling 636-949-7431 or 1-800-822-4012 ex. 7431 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Scheduled informal hearings will be conducted Monday through Thursday during the day, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and select Saturday’s at 201 North Second Street in St. Charles.

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24-Hour Market Watch

Good News!

Check this out:

Home Sales Unexpectedly Increase
March 24, 2007


Published: March 24, 2007
An Unexpected Increase in Home Sales


The New York Times
WASHINGTON, March 23 (AP) — Sales of existing homes unexpectedly rose in February by the largest amount in nearly three years, but some analysts expressed concerns that the recovery for the housing industry will be slowed by spreading troubles in subprime mortgage lending.

The National Association of Realtors reported Friday that sales of existing homes rose 3.9 percent last month, pushed higher by a sharp increase in sales activity in the Northeast. It was the biggest increase since a similar increase in March 2004.

Purchases increased in three of the four regions of the country — rising 14.2 percent in the Northeast, 3.9 percent in the Midwest and 1.6 percent in the South. Purchases were unchanged in the West.

The price of a median home sold last month dropped to $212,800, down 1.3 percent from the same month in 2006. It marked a record seven consecutive months that the median home prime has fallen compared to the same period a year ago.

Analysts said the price declines were helping to lure buyers back into the market. But analysts expressed concerns about what the growing problems in the subprime lending market will do to the sales prospects.

David Lereah, chief economist for the Realtors, said he believed that demand for homes could be cut by 150,000 to 200,000 annually over this year and 2008 because of the lending troubles.
“Our view is that the tightening in the subprime market will have a negative impact on home sales,” Mr. Lereah said. “It probably won’t postpone the recovery (in housing) but it will slow it.”

By region of the country, sales were up 14.2 percent in the Northeast, a gain that was attributed in part to warmer-than-normal weather this winter, which spurred sales.

Sales of existing homes were up 3.9 percent in the Midwest and 1.6 percent in the South, while sales were unchanged in the West. Mr. Lereah said the reluctance of sellers in the West to trim prices was holding back a rebound in that region.

Termites!!!

If you think you don't have them, think again!

I always urge my sellers to get a termite inspection. Most buyers will get one anyway so it's best to nip it in the bud right off the bat.

What if they find termites?

Most lenders require a clear termite inspection. If mud tunnels, damage or any traces of termites (active or not) is found - you'd better plan to get a treatment before you can sell.

How much does that cost?

Treatments can run anywhere from $700 - $900

What do they do?

Liquid termiticides are usually applied completely around and underneath a structure covering all areas where termites might gain access. For new construction, this is accomplished by treating the graded soil before the slab is poured. For an existing building, the perimeter of the foundation is trenched and drilled then treated with termiticide. The goal of the treatment is to put a chemical barrier between the termites in the soil and the structure above. The chemical barrier can also affect those termites inside a building by preventing their return to the soil. In many cases these termites will die of dehydration.

Is there anyway to prevent termites?

You betcha! Plenty of ways:

*Repair structural and plumbing leaks.
*Pull all mulch and landscaping back at least 6 inches from the foundation.
*Remove piles of trash and debris from around the home.
*Keep firewood stacked away from the structure.
*Make sure downspouts are long enough to direct water away from the foundation.
*Keep gutters clean.
*Avoid direct wood to ground contact when building porches or decks.

Here at our house we use the Sentricon System. It is a bait system. The guy comes out once a month and checks our tasty wood pulp filled chambers that are strategically placed around the house for nibbles. If/when there has been evidence of feasting termites, the bug guy does the old switch-a-roo and replaces the tasty pulp with an equally tasty but lethal mixture.

For more info on termites, or if you are thinking about selling your home and just want to be on the safe side - give me a call! I can recommend some great pest companies!!

Now this is what I'm talking about!

Make sure you get outside today!

Clean the gutters

Go on a bike ride

Go to the zoo

Buy a house! (call me!)

Whatever you do, make sure you take advantage of this awesome day!

Holy Cow!

Created by Crazyprofile.com

Just like the time change - the Spring real estate boom has started early!

If you are thinking of selling, now is the time! Call me and I can let you know how to prepare your house for the market!

Call me and Let's get it SOLD!

Oy Vey!

Sorry - I haven't posted in a while.

Blogger decided a mandatory merge with Google accounts. Long story short - I lost my login info and had a hard time tracking it down to change over to Google.

But here I am! Back again!

Back to business!

Let it Snow!

They are calling for 3-6 inches of SNOW in the St. Louis area
by tomorrow morning!

24-Hour Market Watch

Here is the St. Louis area real estate activity

for the past 24 hours

January 18, 2007