Tracy Ellis Magazine - Issue 18

The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show Rick & Tracy Ellis, RealtorsÂŽ

Real Estate Radio Network

The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team want to welcome the Agents who made the move to eXp Realty this quarter!

Carolyn Irvin

Janet Henrichs

Jennifer Cox

Joanie Jacques

Julie Sanz-Agero

Sue Ross

Kevin Kohler

Lindsey Junge

RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM

Shana A. Martinis

Sherry Fox

RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM

2 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

CONTENTS 4

Editorial

6 Selling Your Home During the Holidays 8 Current Listings 18 The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team

6

Our Kitchen Makeover 20

by Nettie White Interiors

28 The Porch 31 Table Rock Lake View Luxury Home on 2.91 Acres

32 Working with a Realtor While Building a New Home

34 Navigating the Currents

20

28

of Pool Installation

39 970 Cedars Valley Rd 40 Thinking of Buying a Home

Rolwes Co: Building 50

Community and Trust Through Homebuilding

On Acreage and Have Questions About Owning a Septic?

46 Thinking of Buying a Home with a Well?

48 Looking For Investment Properties?

56 58

VIP Vendors Marketing Approach

Editor in Chief: Tracy and Rick Ellis Art Direction: Tracy and Rick Ellis, Laura Merchant Head Copywriter: Tracy Ellis Copywriter: Caitlyn Stephenson

On the cover:

Design: Laura Merchant TracyEllis.com Tracy@TracyEllis.com C: 636.299.3702 O: 636.699.2197

TracyEllisTeam

951 Norrington Way Fenton, MO 63026

RickandTracyEllisTeam Tracyellisrealtor TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 3

Editorial

Tracy Ellis

is giving you the edge you need in Real Estate!

f you listen to our show, you may have heard that our family made a move this year. After being in real estate for over 20 years, this is only the second time that we’ve moved. I realized just how important it is that we as real estate agents go through this every 5-8 years to remind ourselves of the process our clients face.

This move was much different than our last move. We decided to move into our new home prior to selling our previous home, making the process smoother than usual. I know for some that can be a scary proposition, but we felt this was the best option for us as we are busy with our clients. It allowed us to slowly pack while getting our own home prepared for the market. And, after all, we are well practiced experts and know how to get homes sold quickly!

Fortunately, everything worked out relatively smoothly. We were even able to sell our home before making our first monthly payment on our new home. We went into the process confident, knowing we would be able to move out of our previous home and sell it quickly. We had sight unseen offers immediately after posting photos to the “coming soon” listing on our social media. I’ve always said not to accept sight unseen offers as they rarely work out, but I decided to give one a chance since it was considerably over the listing price. Our home had not even hit the MLS, so I figured we had nothing to lose. Unfortunately, those buyers decided to go in a completely different direction, so our home hit the MLS five days after we had completely moved out. Our home was under contract that same week and closed that same month, which worked out perfectly for us.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to listen to your real estate agent. We have a reason behind every specific task, and we know what it takes to get homes sold quickly and for top dollar. Our home sold for the highest price in that subdivision (out of 107 homes sold since the subdivision was built). It sold for $540,000, making it 1 of 4 homes to ever be sold over $500,000 in the subdivision.

When you’ve been in real estate for as long us, you know the things that buyers want to see in a home the most. Although we’ve only been in our new home a few months (and have no plans to move for many years), we are already conscious of what our future buyers will be looking for. You should think of your home as an investment, and any improvements you make should result in a higher home

4 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

value. Every home and every price range is different, but your Realtor should be your partner.

As an example, Rick and I are already thinking about the price point we’d like to list our new home at one day. To list at this price point, we need to have two, large walk-in closets within the master suite. Once you’ve decided on a price point, there are simple things you can change about your home that buyers will be looking for that can help you sell your home quickly and for a terrific price. To reach our goal, we are currently in the process of converting a sitting room off the master into a second walk-in closet. This will give our master suite a his/hers closet. It’s not that we personally desire a his/hers walk-in closet, but we don’t need a sitting room in our master bedroom. It’s all about investing into renovations that will give us the highest return for our money when we decide to sell our new home one day. Try to think about improvements you can make and try to make choices that will bring you the most return for your investment down the road while still enjoying your home.

By the way, our “new” home is not brand new. Just new to us!

What a learning experience this has been. Although we’ve been in real estate for some time and have sold many homes with septics and wells, going through it ourselves has been a learning experience.

You’ll find several articles throughout this issue discussing some of the things that we’ve experienced throughout this process. Hopefully they will help you as well.

It’s always an adjustment to make a new home feel like your own.

In our previous home, we had Nettie White Interiors renovate our kitchen and we loved it. We knew when we purchased our current home that we wanted Nettie to do our new kitchen within the first few years following our move. Of course, after moving in, the kitchen just didn’t feel like our space. We decided we couldn’t wait and wanted to get our kitchen renovated before the holidays. We were extremely thankful that Nettie was able to fit us in and completely transform our kitchen in less than six weeks. You’ll find before and after photos along with an article exploring this inside the issue. It’s an amazing transformation!

Then, of course, we couldn’t stop there. The main reason we moved was to have acreage and an outdoor oasis to come home to after a long day. We knew we wanted to add an in-ground pool right away so we’d be ready to go come spring 2020. That doesn’t even seem real to say – 2020! After selling many homes with pools and interviewing

several companies, we settled on Pool Tron to install our gunite pool.

Although we’ve always had a pool (with the exception of our previous home), we have never had the experience of installing an in-ground pool ourselves. This was also a learning experience, and it’s something I’ll discuss later in this issue as well.

There were many times throughout this entire process that I found myself thinking why in the world did I do this to myself? But I would do it all again. There is just something about the process of selling your home, sorting through all the things that you no longer need, and feeling like you’re getting a fresh start. Our boys are getting older. Our two youngest are both in high school as a sophomore and a senior. In the past, we delayed moving because they were insistent that they didn’t want to change schools. Obviously, our boys’ happiness is more important to us than moving. So we decided to wait.

It’s not easy to be in real estate and see such beautiful homes every day and not be able to move. But our plan was to wait until our youngest graduated in 2022. As we know, plans sometimes change. Rick just happened to see a home he loved online but in a different school district. Although we knew that we couldn’t make the move yet, we decided to look anyway. Of course, we loved it (as we thought we would).

Next thing I knew, I was on the phone with the school district trying to move mountains. Luckily, our school district is comprised of a North, South, East, and West, and you’re allowed to move anywhere within the district if your children have already started high school and if you can provide their transportation. It was perfect, and I believed that it had all worked out. But there was still one issue: we were not the only buyers interested in the home.

The home had multiple offers and, although I liked the home, I was not willing to go as high as Rick. We lost that home, and at the time we thought that it just wasn’t meant to be. We weren’t looking to move anyway, so we believed that we would just stay where we were.

But this wasn’t the case. Once you get what I call “the itch to move” you don’t stop looking at homes online, and we soon found an even better home.

Our boys’ happiness was so important to us, and we wanted them to be comfortable with the move too. Luckily, they were ready to move assuming they could continue attending their school. We are so happy with our new home and ecstatic that we were able to sell during what we felt was the peak time of the market and take advantage of extremely low interest rates. We’ve been helping clients buy and sell real estate for a very long time, but this is the first time I can recall seeing home values at, in my opinion, their peak while rates are so low. It made sense to make our move now and to take advantage of the market, even if it meant driving our son to school for a couple of years. We also aren’t sure how many more years we’ll have the kids at home with us. I wanted to make sure that they had time to enjoy the new home and make memories as a family before we start having daughters-in-law and, hopefully, some grandbabies too! Time goes by so fast, and I’ve always said that our homes are where our most cherished memories are made.

A lot of personal changes came with our move, but we’ve also had incredible changes within our business. As you know, The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team opened an eXp Realty branch office at 17824 Edison Avenue in Chesterfield this past spring. The eXp Realty is an agent

owned company that has stock options and revenue share opportunities for agents. I’ve always said that it’s the agents who are doing business, not the company, so it’s nice to see the agents rewarded with a retirement income. This is something we’ve never had before, and I haven’t even mentioned the incredible technology and training with top agents that is provided all over the US. The move to eXp Realty has been incredible, and I’m so grateful that we were introduced to this company.

In a short, five-month period, we’ve already had 25 agents make the move to eXp Realty in our downline, and we’re enjoying helping all of these agents grow their own businesses. It’s been an incredible year, and we can’t wait for what is to come.

I’m at a point in my career (and now that our boys are older and don’t need me quite as much) that it’s important to me to give back. I’ve been offering weekly classes to help coach new agents on contracts and forms, as well as just answering all their questions about real estate.

Giving back to charities has also been one of my priorities. Currently I’m serving on the Board of Directors for a couple of charities in our area, but I want to get more involved with my real estate board as well.

Although I’ve been a member of the St. Charles County Association of Realtors throughout my entire career, I’ve decided to move to the St. Louis Association of Realtors board in 2020 to work with President Michelle Sloan. I’ll start by participating in the RPAC Committee, which is the Realtors Political Action Committee. This is an extremely important committee to me personally as it serves as a way to protect our business and industry while promoting the tradition of home ownership and real estate investing.

As always, Rick and I want to thank everyone that listens to our shows and reads our magazine. We especially want to thank our wonderful clients, without whom we wouldn’t get to do what we love every day. We are so grateful and thankful that you trust us to come into your homes and help make your dreams a reality. We truly enjoy helping others and we hope you won’t hesitate to contact us when you’re ready to buy or sell. We are always surprised when our new clients explain they were hesitant to contact us at first, assuming that our commission charge is pricier because we advertise our listings on all four of our weekly radio shows and in every magazine issue. In most cases, we charge the industry average or even less. We already have all of our marketing in place, so there is no extra charge to have your home advertised with us.

This will be our final issue for 2019, so we want to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season! We hope you make many memories with your family in your home during the holidays. We love seeing holiday photos in your home as well as your home improvements, so I’d love it if you’d tag our business page on Facebook in your holiday photos.

Please Like and Follow “The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team” on Facebook, and then tag us in your photos so we can keep up-to-date with your family and your home changes. Happy Holidays!

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 5

Selling Your Home During the Holidays

T

he holidays are a busy time of year, so the thought of placing your home on the market can seem daunting.

From attending parties, hosting relatives from out-oftown, and wrapping gifts, it can be difficult to keep your home organized and clean for showings. But this doesn’t mean that the winter months are necessarily the wrong time of year to sell your home. In fact, the holiday season could enhance some of your home’s best qualities to help it sell quickly.

The holiday season is the time of year in which we make some of our best memories with our families in our homes. With this in mind, the warm feelings of the season can help buyers envision their own lives in a new space. Inviting decorations, seasonal scents like fresh baked cookies and warm spices, and cozy accessories can help enhance a home’s features to make it feel it’s most inviting to potential buyers. Think about when you visit the homes of friends and relatives; the seasonal decor creates a relaxed atmosphere. The same logic holds true for buyers.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of tips (as well as some benefits) to help you list your home during the festivities:

6 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

Hire a reliable real estate agent Like we said, the holidays are a busy time of year! Between traveling, entertaining, and keeping your home tidy, the energy needed to sell your home can be overwhelming. Hiring the right realtor can take a huge amount of stress off your shoulders. They will be your partner through the home selling process and can help you keep track of showings, ensure your home is getting the marketing it deserves, determine the right listing price, and answer any questions that you have. They can also help you find your new, perfect home.

The holiday season brings a spike in online activity With unpredictable snow and ice acting as obstacles for open houses and showings, buyers are more likely to turn to the web to guide their search. While it’s always beneficial to list your home online, this is especially true when the weather is less than pleasant. An online listing is a great way to highlight your home’s best features and help buyers see the space as it would be without holiday decorations.

By hiring a realtor, you can rest assured that your home is catching attention on the web.

Post a video tour and top quality photos Video tours and pictures are an easy way for buyers to quickly see if your home is the right fit for them, and they can convince buyers to brave the cold to come view your home. Your realtor can work with you to post a professional, high quality videos and photos online. With increased online traffic, having beautiful photographs is essential for catching a buyer’s eye. Having the video and pictures taken before the holiday season is an easy way for the buyer to see the rooms without any holiday decor as well, and you can use the photos to highlight your home’s best features.

Kick up the curb appeal Outdoor holiday decorations are an easy way to make your home feel immediately more inviting. While you don’t want to go overboard with decorations so that your yard 951 Norrington Way and home are hidden, having Fenton, MO 63026 soft lighting in the trees and bushes, a small candle in each front window, and a cheerful holiday wreath are all simple, affordable, and pleasing touches that welcome potential buyers into your home. First impressions are important, and if you create a warm exterior it can help a buyer feel like they’re leaving the cold and entering their new home.

buyers may also have an easier time getting away from work to view properties. Your realtor can find you these motivated buyers to ensure you have a quick and easy sell.

Price to sell When listing your home towards the end of the year, you want to be sure to put it on the market at the right price. While it can be more tempting to price your home at a higher price and slowly reduce it over time, you want to avoid doing this during the holiday rush for a quick sell. However, you also want to be sure to sell your home for the right value. This is something you can discuss with your realtor. They’ll be able to determine the best price for your home so that you can sell it for maximum value in the right time frame for you.

Less competition With the busyness of the holidays, typically fewer homes are listed on the market. This can be ideal if you’re looking to make a fast sell. By avoiding the spike in homes for sale that spring brings, you can be sure that your home is not lost in the crowd. This can also be helpful if you’re worried about your older home being overshadowed by newer models.

The holidays can be stressful, but they’re also a time for family and friends to come together. The New Year brings the chance for new beginnings and a new chapter, so it may be the right time for you to find your new dream home. With the above benefits in mind, you may conclude that these upcoming months are the right time for you to list your home. If you’re interested in moving forward, the Rick and Tracy Ellis Team is happy to help!

Decorate tastefully Holiday decorations don’t just enhance the outside of your home they can help the interior feel more inviting too. But again, you’ll want to make sure you keep the decorating tasteful and simple. Having a slim Christmas tree in the corner of your living room, red pillows and throw blankets, small candles, and a warm fireplace can do wonders.

The holiday season is a great time to show how cozy your home can be, and you want to display a comfortable space where a buyer can envision having their own special family memories.

Motivated Buyers Buyers looking to move before the end of the year could be more motivated to buy than usual. They could be facing the end of a lease or their current home could be under contract. They may also be looking for a tax benefit come the new year. Despite the holiday bustling,

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 7

SOLD 1103 Highland Pointe Dr St Louis, MO 63131 $2,000,000

SOLD 12848 Horton Lane Town and Country, MO 63131 $2,000,000

SOLD 951 Norrington Way Fenton, MO 63026 $1,500,000

ACTIVE 7 Lindworth Dr Ladue, MO 63124 $1,199,900

ACTIVE 403 Tudor Trace Ct Weldon Spring, MO 63304 $1,150,000

PENDING 150 Homestead Ridge Defiance, MO 63341 $999,900

SOLD 729 Highway H Troy, MO 63379 $1,410,000

ACTIVE 961 Chapelwood Kirkwood, MO 63122 $877,990

SOLD 107 Barton Creek Blvd Wentzville, MO 63385 $810,000

ACTIVE 970 Cedars Valley Rd St Albans, MO 63073 $849,900 More info on page 39.

ACTIVE 23 Appaloosa Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $849,900

SOLD 11448 Conway Rd St Louis, MO 63131 $685,000

Ask us why we made the move to eXp Realty! www.RickandTracyEllis.com 8 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

THINKING OF MAKING A MOVE IN REAL ESTATE OR BUSINESS? CALL THE RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM TODAY!

SOLD 1123 Cabinview Ct Chesterfield, MO 63017 $685,000

SOLD 12824 Ladue Rd St Louis, MO 63141 $650,000

SOLD 24 Forest Club Dr Chesterfield, MO 63005 $605,000

ACTIVE 966 TBB Chapelwood Ct St Louis, MO 63122 $612,990

ACTIVE 965 TBB Chapelwood Ct St Louis, MO 63122 $578,990

SOLD 9016 Spy Glass Place O’Fallon, MO 63368 $572,000

ACTIVE 819 North Mosley Rd Creve Coeur, MO 63141 $569,900 More info on page 27.

SOLD 866 Cabernet Lane St Albans, MO 63073 $549,900

SOLD 1033 Brook Mont Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $540,000

SOLD 95 Brookfield Crossing Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $519,350

SOLD 410 Holden Rd Defiance, MO 63341 $485,000

ACTIVE 2935 Kandahar Dr St Charles, MO 63303 $499,990

Tracy Ellis | 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis | 636.699.2197

SOLD 944 Kiefer Ridge Dr Ballwin, MO 63021 $485,000

SOLD 333 Sturbridge Dr St Charles, MO 63303 $485,000

PENDING 530 TBB Roaring Fork Ct. Cottleville, MO 63376 $481,575

SOLD 3 Sage Meadows Ct O’Fallon, MO 63366 $472,900

ACTIVE 4132 Alt Rd Wildwood, MO 63025 $449,900

ACTIVE 5323 Wilson Ct Oakville, MO 63129 $446,990

ACTIVE 334 TBB Cerny Ave Eureka, MO 63025 $435,990

SOLD 113 Wake Forest Place O’Fallon, MO 63368 $427,000

ACTIVE 2 TBB Kandahar Ct St Charles, MO 63303 $429,990

SOLD 300 Verdot Ct O’Fallon, MO 63368 $424,812

ACTIVE 5322 TBB Wilson Ct Oakville, MO 63129 $422,990

SOLD 314 Country Orchard Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $420,000

Are you looking to buy or sell a home?

Contact us! www.RickandTracyEllis.com 10 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

SOLD 243 Mason Glen Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $408,500

ACTIVE 418 TBB Cerny Ct Eureka, MO 63025 $400,990

ACTIVE 104 Wilmer Valley Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $399,900

ACTIVE 2941 TBB Kandahar Dr St Charles, MO 63303 $397,990

SOLD 100 Emke Rd Augusta, MO 63332 $396,000

ACTIVE 5331 TBB Wilson Ct Oakville, MO 63129 $396,990

ACTIVE 1 TBB Kandahar Ct St Charles, MO 63303 $382,990

ACTIVE 330 TBB Cerny Ave Eureka, MO 63052 $378,990

SOLD 21088 Prairie Haven Lane Warrenton, MO 63383 $375,000

ACTIVE 409 TBB Mason Creek Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $373,990

ACTIVE 236 TBB Mason Glen Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $369,990

SOLD 4570 Laclede Ave #206 St Louis, MO 63108 $366,000

Tracy Ellis | 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis | 636.699.2197 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 11

SOLD 969 Bentley Park Cir O’Fallon, MO 63368 $365,000

SOLD 511 Country Chase Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $365,000

PENDING 15 Crooked Stick Ct O’Fallon, MO 63366 $359,900

SOLD 2017 Montclair Manor Dr St Charles, MO 63303 $359,900

SOLD 511 Roaring Fork Ct. Cottleville, MO 63376 $354,000

SOLD 1092 Pierpoint Lane St Charles, MO 63303 $355,000

SOLD 3053 Leesburg Place Imperial, MO 63052 $352,570

PENDING 5307 South Bellerieve Lane Imperial, MO 63052 $349,900

SOLD 2341 Chemin (Lot 117) Ave St Charles, MO 63301 $348,948

SOLD 304 Shadowbrook Dr Labadie, MO 63055 $340,000

SOLD 2229 Cournier St St Charles, MO 63301 $332,000

SOLD 6512 Franks Rd Byrnes Mill, MO 63051 $325,000

Ask us why we made the move to eXp Realty! www.RickandTracyEllis.com 12 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

THINKING OF MAKING A MOVE IN REAL ESTATE OR BUSINESS? CALL THE RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM TODAY!

PENDING 4101 Bassett Estates Dr Pacific, MO 63069 $324,900

SOLD 2805 Tayson Way #4 Washington, MO 63090 $320,500

PENDING 507 Rifle Ridge Lane Wentzville, MO 63368 $314,990

PENDING 252 Jacobs Way St Peters, MO 63376 $309,900

ACTIVE 120 TBB Brookfield Crossing Lane Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $307,990

SOLD 9373 Southtowne Farms Dr St Louis, MO 63123 $305,000

SOLD 1043 Johanna Dr Ballwin, MO 63021 $301,000

PENDING 1010 Crystal Creek Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $299,990

PENDING 512 TBB Roaring Fork Ct. Cottleville, MO 63376 $297,990

SOLD 923 Daffodil Ridge Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $297,500

SOLD 256 Jacobs Way St Peters, MO 63376 $295,000

ACTIVE 4728 TBB Rockville Court Imperial, 63052 $289,990

Tracy Ellis | 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis | 636.699.2197 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 13

PENDING 9 Osperey Way O’Fallon, MO 63368 $289,900

ACTIVE 108 TBB Brookfield Crossing Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $287,990

ACTIVE 105 TBB Hartford Glen Ct Fenton, MO 63026 $283,990

SOLD 246 Lonepine Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $283,000

ACTIVE 1147 TBB Crystal Creek Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $281,990

ACTIVE TBB William Penn Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $281,990

PENDING 128 TBB Crystal Creek Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $281,990

SOLD 10564 Larkspur Dr St Louis, MO 63123 $281,900

SOLD 2757 Providence Ridge Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $279,000

PENDING 1145 Evans Ave Kirkwood, MO 63122 $279,000

SOLD 1021 Annabrook Park O’Fallon, MO 63366 $277,500

SOLD 3421 Commonwealth Ave Maplewood, MO 63143 $275,000

Are you looking to buy or sell a home?

Contact us! www.RickandTracyEllis.com 14 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

ACTIVE 914 TBB Pittsburg Landing Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $274,990

SOLD 308 Country Trail Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $274,900

SOLD 2603 E Highway 47 Winfield, MO 63389 $274,000

ACTIVE 1486 TBB Arlington Heights Way Imperial, MO 63052 $272,990

ACTIVE 1332 TBB Heritage Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $270,990

ACTIVE 141 TBB Hartford Glen Ct Fenton, MO 63026 $265,990

SOLD 601 Rue Montand Dr Ballwin, MO 63011 $264,000

PENDING 149 Hartford Glen Ct Fenton, MO 63026 $262,938

ACTIVE 225 TBB Barrington Ridge Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $260,990

ACTIVE 1511 TBB Arlington Heights Way Imperial, MO 63052 $258,990

ACTIVE 128 TBB Hartford Glen Ct Fenton, MO 63026 $251,990

ACTIVE 1153 TBB Crystal Creek Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $249,990

Tracy Ellis | 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis | 636.699.2197 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 15

ACTIVE 1131 TBB Crystal Creek Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $247,990

ACTIVE 122 TBB Riding Crop Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $245,990

ACTIVE 15 TBB San Marino Pkwy Fenton, MO 63026 $242,990

ACTIVE 216 TBB Barrington Ridge Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $242,990

ACTIVE 1149 TBB Crystal Creek Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $242,990

SOLD 116 Hillsdale Dr Ballwin, MO 63011 $238,000

ACTIVE 1485 TBB Arlington Heights Way Imperial, MO 63052 $236,900

ACTIVE 169 TBB Cedar Heights Festus, MO 63028 $231,990

ACTIVE 124 TBB Riding Crop Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $225,990

ACTIVE 1523 TBB Arlington Heights Way Imperial, MO 63052 $224,990

SOLD 208 Barrington Ridge Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $224,100

ACTIVE 1155 TBB Crystal Creek Pkwy Wentzville, MO 63385 $223,990

Are you looking to buy or sell a home?

Contact us! www.RickandTracyEllis.com 16 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

THINKING OF MAKING A MOVE IN REAL ESTATE OR BUSINESS? CALL THE RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM TODAY!

SOLD 100 Rosebrook Dr Florissant, MO 63031 $223,000

SOLD 90 Rue De Paix #18 Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $215,000

ACTIVE 1856 TBB Oak Dr Festus, MO 63028 $208,990

SOLD 3910 Miami St St Louis, MO 63116 $205,000

SOLD 51 Rock Church Dr O’Fallon, MO 63368 $205,000

ACTIVE 121 TBB Riding Crop Lane Wentzville, MO 63385 $204,990

SOLD 900 South Hanley Rd #4B Clayton, MO 63105 $204,900

PENDING 1852 TBB Oak Dr Festus, MO 63028 $189,990

SOLD 302 Coronation Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $187,000

SOLD 5007 Hi View Ave St Louis, MO 63119 $182,500

SOLD 1229 Woodgrove Park Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $174,500

SOLD 70 Willowyck Ct St Louis, MO 63146 $173,000

Tracy Ellis | 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis | 636.699.2197 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 17

Meet The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team!

Tracy Ellis 636.299.3702

Rick Ellis 636.699.2197

Pat Daffron 314.704.5672

Nikki Thompson 314.707.0731

Faye Schubert Branson Team Lead 417.699.4557

Leslie Firebaugh 314.258.4433

Chet Firebaugh 314.258.4433

Lynne VanGels 636.386.4233

Sarah Heady 314.278.8464

Stacie Smith 314.703.9783

Shana A. Martinis 314.875.0202

Janet Henrichs 314.603.1756

18 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

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19

Our Kitchen Makeover

E

very family has its own unique traditions and celebrations, and many times these events take place in the kitchen. The kitchen is a unique space where families can take time to be together and share a meal during special occasions, or just enjoy each other’s company after a long day. In fact, people spend so much time in their kitchens that it’s common to have the space renovated to reflect each homeowner’s unique style and taste. When Rick and Tracy sold their own home, they found that one of the most difficult things to part with was their kitchen. They had it renovated by Nettie White after admiring her work for years.

When Rick and Tracy bought their new home, Tracy’s biggest reservation was the kitchen space. After having your dream kitchen, it can be difficult to walk into a new space and making it feel like home. Their new kitchen had light maple cabinets with a basic rope pattern. There were very little wood details or crown moldings.

And while the kitchen’s appliances were beautiful and it contained granite countertops, it left something to be desired after having a beautifully completed renovation in their previous home. This is what inspired Rick and Tracy to have Nettie come to their new kitchen a few years earlier than initially planned so that their family

20 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

by Nettie White Interiors

could begin enjoying the new space as soon as possible, especially with the holiday season approaching.

Before moving into their new home, Tracy knew that she wanted to work with Nettie to get her dream kitchen. Nettie can change the entire value of a home by taking even the most basic kitchen and turning it into something gorgeous. In fact, Tracy contributes the value of her previous home to Nettie after selling it for the highest value that the neighborhood had seen in many years.

Rick and Tracy’s new kitchen is a very different shape than their previous kitchen. It’s a long kitchen composed of several different areas, including a coffee bar, a wet sink, an ice maker that serves as a work station, an island, a baking area, the pantry, the sink area, a peninsula, and a large utility closet (affectionately referred to as the “locker area” by Nettie and Tracy). The challenge was pulling these parts together and finding the right color scheme to create a cohesive space. But the kitchen’s renovation isn’t just inspired by the kitchen space - all aspects of the home play a part. For their new kitchen, Tracy wanted to be sure there was cohesion with their marble entry foyer, the great room, the existing kitchen tile, and the breakfast room. And she knew she could count on Nettie to

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play on these existing features to find the right color and styling for their kitchen. Every home is different, and every homeowner has their sense of personal style that Nettie is able to take into account when designing their dream kitchen. All of her projects are individualized, and she will add all the small details that truly increase the value of a home.

Nettie White Interiors has been operating for 20 years now, and Nettie and her team have worked on a wide range of projects. They’ve serviced customers all over the St. Louis area and have worked on their clients’ properties out of state as well. Of course, each project is different and poses its own set of challenges and pre-existing unique features. Going into their own kitchen makeover, Tracy and Rick knew that they wanted to keep the existing flooring and granite countertops. Nettie came into the space and created distinct colors that would work with the flooring and countertops but would also bring the separate areas of the kitchen together to help it flow with the rest of their home. I spoke to Nettie to learn more about her creative process, how she makes her work stand out, and what it was like working on Tracy and Rick’s new kitchen.

What is your creative process like?

Well first I see how a client lives and what their lifestyle is like. I see how they actually live their lives. Then as a next step, I see what they have in the house and if they’re keeping their existing flooring or granite. Then I work with those existing colors and within those parameters. So Tracy had a tile floor, which had a specific color to it, and she had granite that had a specific color to it, and they weren’t going to get rid of either one. So that’s where the feel of the kitchen had to come from. Then I’ll look at the style of the house to see if we can go more casual or if we need to keep it more sophisticated because the kitchen needs to fit in with the actual house as well. The Ellis’ lifestyle is pretty laid

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back. They have a pool, and the kitchen needs to capture the durability and the casualness and the fact that they entertain a lot. For each home we need to ask specific questions like: do they have pets? How many kids does the family have? Is this kitchen going to get a lot of wear and tear? Is it going to look out of place if we go too sophisticated and dressy? No one wants to live somewhere that feels like it’s not a part of who they are.

How do you make your work stand out?

We take what you already own and turn it into something you can’t even imagine. For example, we took the Ellis’ metal, stainless hood, and we put a cartouche (a wooden design) on top of it. Then we painted it. The stainless hood didn’t look like it fit into their kitchen at all even though they have stainless appliances. It was just too modern looking for some of the things she wanted. So we painted the hood to flow with the rest of the kitchen. There was some hesitancy on both ends to change it, but I was determined to have it in there because Tracy was going into a dressier direction than I was expecting. I then felt like on that side of the kitchen, the hood needed to replicate what we were doing in other places.

How would you define Rick and Tracy’s style?

I would say they are casual. The kitchen needs to function effortlessly for them. They’re super busy people, so it can’t be fussy and it needs to be functional and beautiful. They need to come home to a place that feels like them.

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What was the vision you had for their kitchen?

Honestly, I kind of struggled with it because Tracy is more casual and the house is more dressy.

Tracy is more coastal. You know I think that if she could live in Florida she probably would. So Tracy is more coastal and beachy, and the house is more Mediterranean and dressier. I kind of struggled with her taste and what I felt the house needed.

But I feel like we all pulled it off.

They need to come home to a place that feels like them.

Were there any existing features you wanted to highlight?

The double oven area is always a favorite of mine in the kitchen because, at first, it’s just this floating double oven sticking out of a dry wall.

I try to make it look like they belong in the kitchen, so we make them look built in rather than having them just floating. Sometimes they look like they’re just hanging if they don’t look built in. Then I took the colors of the flooring and the granite to make everything look like it had been built together at one time rather than installed separately.

kitchen, which I knew after having done her previous kitchen. So we start with a color that we think the client will like, but then it needs to get tweaked as we glaze it in order for it to carry in the backsplash and the flooring and have it all be pulled together in that way so it all looks purposeful.

How did you find the perfect color for their kitchen?

I will take what the client likes to begin with and then I will make a color specifically to go with their granite, flooring, backsplash, and what they would like. Tracy always likes a light, bright

Can you talk about the woodwork details and what that process was like?

Typically on top of cabinets there’s no crown molding and no embellishments, so we bring in a lot of millwork. The guy who

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works with us (who has worked with us for years) knows what we like and what we want him to do. We’ll add little details, so if it needs to be more casual then that’s the kind of millwork that we’ll do. If it needs to be dressier, then we need to make it look like it’s more embellished. The woodworking we did in the Ellis’ kitchen was the addition of crown molding on top of the cabinets as well as wainscoting on all sides of the cabinets and the island to make them look like pieces of furniture. We added corbels, columns, and then of course the cartouche on top of the hood.

How did you pull together all the separate areas of the kitchen to have a cohesive room?

The colors pulled it all together, and with the way the area looked we wanted it all to just flow. They have four different colors in the kitchen. The bar is more masculine and has a darker color to it. The island is the same color as the bar, so those two pieces are cohesive. The peninsula area is kind of in that same family of colors. Then the main kitchen is light. Then they have this set of lockers that are completely separate. They are set apart to look like a piece of furniture. So it all seems to flow really well.

Can you talk about the metal plates and the lions head accent pieces? How do you choose which style of doorknobs to use?

These are embellishments that we use. Sometimes we use wood, sometimes we use metal. We’ll use whatever will fit and has the look that we’re going for. They’re accents.

Can you talk about the bead board on the back wall around the pantry door?

That is where the floating double ovens and the microwave are, so it’s a way to make them look built into the rest of the kitchen rather than having them just sitting in the drywall.

What was the inspiration for the old wine racks?

That’s just a signature thing that we do. We do it in a big way, you know, bigger instead of just the tiny ones. I’m not sure how I started. It’s just something we do all the time. We get rid of those itty boxes, and we put the big X in there. It makes it look bigger and just a bit more updated.

Can you talk about the utility closet and the croc pattern you used on the door? This is one of Tracy’s most admired pieces.

Tracy loved the crocodile pattern that we used at her last house, so she really wanted it again in this house. It’s a process that we use.

There’s not too much to be said about it. It’s a process that we use, and we can change the colors of course.

Can you describe the crackle that you used on the vanilla cabinets?

That’s, again, another process that we use. You know, I can’t give away how we do it! But, you know, if a kitchen calls for it and a client likes it, then we’ll use it.

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The Porch N

ettie White, owner of Nettie White Interiors, is the owner of The Porch, a charming and elegant furniture store located in Wildwood. They have a unique collection of items that are difficult to find anywhere else in the St. Louis area. Nettie hand paints items so they’re personalized, and they have limited stock to ensure that customers will have one of a kind items. I spoke with Nettie to learn more about The Porch, the pieces they sell, and how their items can enhance a space.

Can you tell me about The Porch?

It began with Nettie White Interiors (NWI). The Porch was a building that was across the street from NWI. I bought the building to put NWI into it. Once I owned the building, it took me about a year to fix it up and open The Porch. NWI is 20 years old and was started in 1999, and The Porch came 10 years later.

We carry some beautiful lines of jewelry that are super unique to our type of lifestyle boutique. Our boutique is rustic and very European. They are very one of a kind, and you won’t really find them anywhere else. We have pieces that are nationally known and that you can only get at our store. We carry the Gracious Goods line (the GG line), which is a line of servingware that’s very unique. Once people have one piece, then they want a whole collection of it. They want all the pieces to go with it. In fact, I think Tracy has quite a bit of it. It’s wrought iron and porcelain, so it’s beautiful together and we are one of the main carriers in St. Louis. We carry sofas, beautiful fabric and

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leather sofas. Lamps that we don’t think anyone else will have. And we have beautiful, dried floral arrangements.

Can you tell me how you find specific items for The Porch?

We go all over, but it’s really the girls who work with me. We all collaborate, and we choose things that fit the store itself. The Porch has its own personality, and it reflects a lifestyle for us. So the girls that work with me will go to market, and we’ll all put our heads together to decide what we want to buy, you know, what would look good in the store. We carry a lot of pillows, and we love accessories like faux, resin deer heads. We have animal hide rugs, we carry those. We have a Tibetan ottoman. We just try to carry really unusual things that pertain to a rustic but elegant lifestyle. I’ve always compared The Porch to a Rolex or a Land Rover: you can be very rugged but then clean it up. You can wear your Rolex every day, whether you’re jogging or if you’re going to an exclusive dinner. You can take the Land Rover off-road and be that rough chick or you can dress it up and be a city girl. We try to mesh those two lifestyles into our store.

How do you decide on lighting and sconce styles?

I have a European line. I carry giant mirrors and some really interesting European lighting. I think it takes a special person to have them because it’s a very specific look. I have a giant lion’s head. I have a cherub mirror and cherub lights that are heavy looking. These are probably some of our more signature items in our store that no one else carries.

Can you discuss the styles of the rugs?

For rugs we tend to choose the hide and hair rugs. Cowhide rugs have been used for a long time. The new trend is to have cowhide on top of an area rug. That can help layer and enhance your living space and brings warmth. Nowadays, everything blends and marries together.

In the past, a cowhide rug represented a rustic, southwestern feel. Now you can use it in a formal, almost farmhouse look. It just brings a lot of warmth and gives it a texture that you wouldn’t think would work in that space. They all have their own distinct characters and are unique in their own ways so they give you a unique space no one else has.

Can you speak about the kitchen accessories from the GG Collection? What are their styles like?

They’re timeless, they’re beautiful, they’re unique, and they’re durable. We are one of the only stores in St. Louis that carries this line. They have canisters, serving pieces, beautiful glasses, and beautiful coffee tubs. They just have some of the coolest serving pieces ever. They’re porcelain and built around wrought iron stands, and they’re just gorgeous.

What is the relationship between Nettie White Interiors and The Porch like?

What typically happens is that the client I’m working with becomes acquainted with The Porch, and then the girls at The Porch will recommend certain things. For example, the girls know what Tracy’s new kitchen looks like. So when Tracy comes to the store, they’re able to make recommendations. They’ll say hey, Tracy, we saw your kitchen. We think that you would love this GG line. Or they can recommend certain bar stools or a light. When a kitchen is done, I may recommend certain pieces. Sometimes our clients will find certain pieces they like from The Porch before their kitchen is done and mention it to me. I can then keep that in mind while I finish. But we can always continue the make over process after the kitchen is remodeled and make recommendations based on what we have. We carry a lot of dining tables, chairs, and lighting.

Myself and my girls are close with our clients, and we get to know everyone’s personal style so we can always make recommendations.

What are some accessories you’d like to highlight?

We carry desks and other accessories. We may shop at market and decide that we’ll make a room that we may want in our home that looks like it would carry a beautiful desk and a big beautiful chair.

Then the desk could have a tray on it, and it would have a beautiful lamp, and some bookcases. Then we try to find a whole room vignette, so to speak. We make a collection. So if we did a dining room, we’d do a beautiful bar cart, and a dining room table, and all the things that

“We carry some beautiful lines of jewelry that are super unique to our type of lifestyle boutique.”

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 29

would go on the table, and the chairs that we think would look good with it. If we were doing a living room, we’d do an ottoman, a sofa, and a side table. So our goal is to have a collection of pieces set up so if someone were to come into The Porch and buy all the pieces, then they would be done decorating. You could walk in and say I love that sofa! Oh, I love those chairs with that sofa. And I love that table. Can I just buy the whole room?

How can accessories enhance a space?

A room without accessories is like having a picture without a frame.

They really tell of your personality. They’re like jewelry as you’re walking out the door. They’re like the picture frame around the picture. They highlight everything that you’ve spent all this hard earned money on. You might have a beautiful sofa and table, but if you don’t have anything on the table then it’s just a table. But if you put a gorgeous bowl on there and you put some pinecones in it, then you’re telling people what you love.

You’re telling them you like old, authentic, European things, and you like things that are natural from outside. You could add a few candles to it too, and that really says it all without much.

We want our store to be inviting, and we want people to feel that when they walk in they can sit there for a while and have a cup of coffee. In the winter and fall, the fireplace is on and it’s a gathering spot.

The store represents how we want your home to be: cozy and welcoming to everyone. Candles are always inviting and greenery is another texturing element. All of our greenery is either preserved or real.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

I’m so grateful to the people that I work with - my crew at The Porch and my crew at Nettie White Interiors. They work so hard. They are so a part of the vision, and they help collaborate. They do so much

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more than just work for me. They are part of what gives me my inspiration, and they’re part of what gives me my energy. After 20 years you sometimes lose your excitement, and they keep me going. The whole team up there, between The Porch and Nettie White Interiors, and the girls that work behind the scenes doing all the paperwork, it’s the best crew I’ve ever had. They are the reason I go to work. I’ve never seen people work so hard on something when it’s not theirs. It’s not their store, but they act like it is. Nettie White Interiors is not anybody else’s business but mine, but everybody works as if it’s their own. I’ve never seen anything like it. They really deserve so much of the credit. And of course, we pray every day. We pray for the clients that we have. We pray to be an asset to our clients’ lives during the particular time we’re in their homes. We start every day with a prayer.

The Porch has several upcoming events. The sweeping of The Porch (a store wide sale) takes place on September 21st. We are on the Cardinal Glennon discount card event, which runs from October 18th through October 27th. Everyone who purchases a Cardinal Glennon card gets a 20% discount off of everything and all proceeds go to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Our last even is Table Top for St. Louis Homes, which is November 2nd. All of our Christmas stock will be on display for this event.

Stop by The Porch to see their full collection at 16957 Manchester Road in Wildwood.

39 Whispering Hill Drive

TABLE ROCK LAKE VIEW LUXURY HOME ON 2.91 ACRES

T

his Table Rock lake view home is perfectly placed on 2.91 acres in the Ozark Mountains. As the seasons change , you have a spectacular view of the leaves changing before your eyes. The calming effect of the lake, with the water rippling with the breeze, is your start to each day.

Enjoy the view from the living room, dining room, deck or patio.

This custom home was designed to feature the lake and the Ozark mountains. You may even see deer in the early morning or late afternoon,as they find delicious leaves to feed on.

View the Branson Belle riverboat as it cruises daily on Table Rock Lake. View the fireworks of Big Cedar Lodge, just across the lake.

Serve your family and friends from the kitchen, with lake views from the breakfast room. The home is very spacious and can entertain large groups of family or friends.

The Master Bedroom features a view of the beautifully manicured back yard and gazebo. What a way to start your morning with a cup of coffee and a view of nature’s beauty! The Master Bedroom has a large walk in closet and dressing room with cabinets for storage. The Master Bath features a spa tub to relax after a day of enjoying a round of golf, Silver Dollar City theme park or a day on the lake. The lower level of the home has a game room, full kitchen and laundry,and family room with a gas fireplace. The lower level is spacious enough for extended family or rental.

The 3 car garage is 30 x 40 with a John Deere room and workshop 16 x 50. Lots of room for your hobbies or mechanical tools or woodworking equipment.

39 Whispering Hill Drive in Blue Eye Missouri, is located 15 minutes from Big Cedar Lodge that features premier golf, bowling, and outdoor adventures. Bar and grill to fine dining is available at Big Cedar Resort and Top of the Rock. Branson is a 25 minute drive. Branson is Live Music Capital of the U.S. with 100 live shows. 140 restaurants from fast food to fine dining available. Mini golf, go-carts,outdoor hiking, cave tours and more.

Table Rock Lake view of Branson Belle

Table Rock Lake view every season

Shopping at Branson Landing and the Tanger Outlet Mall, along with large retail shopping and home improvement stores are available.

The Branson Lakes area is the Top Affordable Lake town in 2019.

If you are ready to make the move to live on the lake, give us a call at 417-699-4557 for more information. Make your lake dream home a reality today!

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 31

Why Should You Have Agent Representation While Building A New Home?

T

here is something exciting about building your own home and deciding what your new living space will look like.

You can design the home you always envisioned owning, down to the small details. The process of building a new home isn’t always a smooth one. There are many things to think about that you may not even realize before beginning the process. This is where a licensed agent representing you is essential. Many people don’t realize that when building a home, having their own agent representation can be a huge asset throughout the process. Some think that since the home isn’t built yet, an agent isn’t needed. This is not the case. In this article, I want to address a widespread myth: you don’t need an agent when buying new construction.

So why should you have agent representation with a new construction purchase?

Most builder’s prices are set with real estate agents commissions in mind, so any “deals” are those that you would get anyway. The builder or builder’s sales representative does not represent you. If a builder or sales representative encourages you to not have an agent, then you will need to ask yourself why this is the case. Most builders welcome agent representation as long as you register the agent’s name that is representing you during your first tour of the community.

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Most builders’ representatives or sales agents are not licensed agents. You should always protect yourself and have an agent representing your best interests. Think of it this way: the home’s builder is the seller and they will most likely have an agent or representation, so why shouldn’t you, the buyer, have an agent too? Your agent will work with you and look out for your best interests. While builders want to be sure they deliver what you want, it’s important for you to have an agent to help you get the best price along with other things as well.

Buying new construction is not as simple and trouble free as you think. Consumers often get caught up in the mystique of a new home without realizing that there can be pitfalls - at times more than buying an owner occupied home. Some of the pitfalls is simply choosing the right builder, lot, and floor plan. Having sold countless new construction homes over the years, we know which builders take care of their clients the best during and after the sale, which builders have the best workmanship for different price points, which finish on time, which lots are the best, what floor plans will have the best resale, what upgrades matter most, and so on.

There are a number of things that come up during the building process that you may not think of that your agent can help you through.

We can help you negotiate upgraded appliances, trending paint colors, and anything else among those lines to make sure that you’re getting the

aesthetic you have in mind without breaking the bank. The builder may also have a preferred lender they’ll recommend to you. By having your own agent representation, you’ll have someone with experience working with you and your lender to ensure you’re setting yourself up with the best mortgage for your situation. There are also other things that come up along the way, for example do you need to get your current home sold in order to build? Your agent can help you through that as well and do their best to try to get the dates in sync to avoid a double move.

Some other things to keep in mind and look out for when you’re moving forward with a new build. To begin with, you’ll want to ask the builders representative how much the model home costs as shown. The model homes usually have a lot of upgrades and can be considerably more expensive than the base price. Your agent can help you figure out what upgrades will be best for you to do during the build and possibly be able to get some of those upgrades included in your offer. In terms of resale, your agent will be able to help you figure out which features and floor plans are the most desired in today’s market. While it may sound strange to think about selling your home before you’ve even built it, you want to make sure you’re picking a lot, floor plan and upgrades that will make you the most money down the road when you decide to make a move again. By having an agent to guide you through out the process, you can feel confident that you’re investing your money wisely.

Builders are not like typical sellers: they don’t get emotionally

attached to the homes they sell and, at the end of the day, they’re companies that need to make a profit. While some builders may be hesitant to reduce the overall cost of a sale, your agent may be able to negotiate some upgrades and possibly closing cost credits.

It’s a common misconception as well that buying new construction without an agent will save the buyers money. As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t the case as the commission that would have been paid to the buyer’s agent is usually included in the overall cost of the home when builders price their properties. Furthermore, our experience, knowledge, and reputation represent strength and leverage on your behalf to make sure the purchase goes as smoothly as possible. We are able to deal directly with the builder’s representative, their contracts, and any issues that may come up during the process. We can also help with the numerous inspections or walk-thru opportunities (that you may not even be aware of, such as the pre-drywall), the negotiation of options and price, insight at the design center to what will have the best resale or appeal, and more. Additionally, our education and experience will assure you have someone looking out for your best interest.

Contact a member of The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team today if you’re thinking about building a new home.

St. Louis' Educated Roofing Professionals

(314) 800-0426 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 33

Navigating the Currents of Pool Installation

I

nstalling a pool sounds like an intimidating endeavor, but it’s something that is so rewarding in the long run. There is nothing quite like enjoying your own pool in the heat of summertime.

Whether you have kids and enjoy entertaining, like to swim laps, or just want a quiet space to enjoy the sun, there’s a lot to consider before you begin installation. Regardless of if you’re looking for a rectangular pool with a modern theme or a nature-inspired infinity pool complete with boulders and waterfalls, there’s a lot to think about when deciding upon your pool’s aesthetic as well as its construction materials.

Rick and I recently went through the pool installation process ourselves at our new home. We worked with Pool Tron to create the perfect pool for our family’s budget. We decided on the Turtle Bay Pebble Sheen finish to achieve a more natural look, and although there are so many shapes of pools now, Rick and I decided to stay with a more traditional rectangular pool. We like the clean lines and the fact you have more space in the pool, making it easier to swim laps. We worked closely with Pool Tron through each step in the development process to achieve the look we wanted. We now have a beautiful pool that flows effortlessly with colored cool decking to match our existing pavers on our patio.

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We learned a lot throughout this process. For example, although we knew we wanted some pretty decorative tiles, we also wanted to choose tile that wouldn’t create more issues down the road. Obviously we all know that the more cracks and grout, the more areas for water to penetrate the grout over time. So although we liked some of the smaller tiles, we felt over time it could be something that may not last as long.

We came up with a solution and went with a slightly larger tile and added a decorative sea glass tile about every 10 tiles. This helped give us the look we wanted with what we felt would be less maintenance later.

We also learned to make sure you’re very specific about where you want them placed, and make sure to clarify if this is a standard tile included in your contract bid or an upgrade so that you don’t get an additional bill after completion as we did.

Of course, as with every major home construction project, surprises can occur. When setting a budget for your pool, it’s important to consider having some extra padding in that budget in case any problems arise.

It’s near impossible to tell what’s underground without a geotest (which can cost thousands of dollars) until you start digging, and the St. Louis area has its fair share of natural obstacles. Natural rocks can be resting

unknowingly in anyone’s backyard, and it’s hit or miss if it’s something you’ll encounter. While your pool builder is more than likely able to clear the rock out, it will increase the cost of construction. It is definitely in your best interest to set aside a buffer within your budget so you’re able to push past these obstacles that can occur while digging.

You also want to be mindful of any existing structures in your yard before you begin. For us, our pre-existing obstacle was the septic line.

When digging up to ten feet deep, the earth can become unpredictable and touch things that aren’t necessarily close. A clump of dirt being extracted can end up moving earth several feet away. It was an unfortunate accident when our septic line was cut during the pool installation, not once, but twice. Pool Tron handled the situation quickly so it ended up not being a big deal, and the short-term stress of a pool installation was well worth a couple of months of construction for years of enjoyment. You should also make sure you allow in your budget additional funds to repair your yard and any damage that occurs to concrete or other areas. When you read the fine print in most pool installers’ contracts, you’ll find that most have verbiage added stating that they aren’t responsible for any damage caused to concrete and other areas in your yard. This can be concerning, if you’re like us and feel that nobody is going to be as careful with your things if they aren’t liable to repair or replace them. Make sure you’re working with a company that you trust, and check with previous clients to see if they were happy with their work. When I say set extra money aside in your budget, I’d suggest getting bids to prepare and don’t estimate. We weren’t anticipating having to spend not only about $5,000 to repair our yard, but an additional $3,000 to repair our in-ground sprinkler system along with a leak by our well that they thought was most likely caused due to the heavy concrete trucks driving in our yard near our well. Again, these are things that can’t be avoided when installing a pool and especially when your home sits back off the road as ours does.

Another area we learned a lot about, and wish we would’ve asked more questions was the vagueness in the contract concerning the cost of installing gas and electric lines. Obviously we don’t install pools everyday and it’s hard for the pool company to know when bidding the job how many linear feet of gas and electrical lines you’ll need until they’re sure exactly where your pool equipment will be placed. Even then, don’t just let the pool company run those lines without getting bids from others. Unfortunately, we thought it would be easier to let them do the work since they already had the ground dug up and were here working anyway. After the pool was completed, we received an additional bill for their work and were charged an amount 10 times higher than what our propane company (Big River) would’ve charged us. So do not just let your pool installer handle this if their bid isn’t inline with others.

Do your homework, be prepared ahead of time, and have the company you’re going to use available to do that work when your pool installer needs it completed. We actually had Big River out and they were going to do the work on our gas line, but the weather wasn’t cooperating and the day that our pool installer was ready for the line to be completed, our propane company wasn’t able to get here in time. If we had known the cost was ten times greater, we would’ve just delayed the concrete a day or so and saved a considerable amount of money, over $4,000.00.

Do your have a fence in your yard? We didn’t have a fence when we bought the home and knew we’d be putting one in right away for our dog. Another area I wish we had researched. Selling our previous home while moving and remodeling the new one on top of our busy work

schedules and everyday life, left me little time to shop other quotes. We decided to go with the company that was installing our pool to make it easier and their price was reasonable. Again, never putting in a pool before ourselves, we had no idea that during pool installation they could need to remove most of your fence. We had our fence installed about a month prior to the pool being installed and they had told us they were installing a double gate near our driveway to access our yard to make it easier when it was time to install the pool. They did mention they may have to take down a couple of sections on the side for the concrete trucks to have easier access. Imagine our surprise when we walked outside to find over half of our newly installed fence removed. Let’s just say that wasn’t a good day for me, or anyone. Again, it would not have been as big of an issue if we weren’t being sent a bill for the cost to reinstall the fence that we had just paid to install a month prior. Of course if we had known this was going to be the case, we would’ve toughed it out with our dog for a month and saved ourselves an additional $5,000 bill. So do yourself a favor, if you’ve never had a pool installed before please do the following: Really sit down with the company you hire and ask many questions in regards to their contract, drill them to get more set pricing and ask many questions. I’d also strongly suggest asking for a “What to Expect List,” something we would’ve loved to have received.

It’s the simple things for those of us that don’t do this everyday; it would just be nice to know what you can expect. There are things that come up that I didn’t even realize, like something as simple as walking outside to see a pile of gravel in my yard about eight feet high. I think we may be picking up rocks for years to come, but we will enjoy swimming in our pool during all of those years as well.

When it comes to the design of your pool and the pool decking, if you make any modifications during the construction make sure you get a set price before you approve of any changes. Obviously Pool Tron does this everyday and had a suggestion during our install to solve an aesthetic issue with our landscaping meeting our decking. They thought removing some of our landscape stones/bricks and adding what looked to us to be an additional foot or two of concrete decking would cosmetically flow better and help with them leveling our yard. We agreed and they were correct, it did look better. We just weren’t anticipating what we thought might be an additional $2-$3,000 to end up being about $10,000 on top of all of the other costs.

The goal of our story is to help you understand some of the things that go into the preparation and process of installing a pool. There is a lot to think about before and during the process. We want you to be better prepared than we were and think about some of the things that we never thought of. We’ve waited for this moment of making our backyard a relaxing place to come home to and had we known a lot of these things and been better prepared it would’ve made it a much more enjoyable and “less costly” process. Before beginning, you need to decide on your budget, your design and usage goals.How will the pool be placed based on pre-existing installations in your yard. You’ll need to think about what you want your pool’s structure to be made of (with concrete, vinyl liners, and fiberglass being the most common) as well as what type of tiles you’ll want for decoration and what the surrounding cement or stones might look like. It’s important to have an experienced and knowledgeable builder because they are going to be your guides throughout the project. Finally, you’ll need to be prepared to deal with anything that might turn up underground, like clay or rocks.

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At the end of the day, it was all worth it and we know in a few years we will look back and these little bumps along the way won’t be as important as they’re right now. Pool Tron built a quality pool that looks incredible and their crew is top notch. We were amazed at how they drove their equipment with such ease and navigated in such a tight space with their bobcats and backhoes. I interviewed many companies and asked many in the industry who’d they suggest for a gunite pool and almost always it was Pool Tron.

I spoke with Dennis from Pool Tron to gain a better understanding of what people should know about building their own pool. Dennis is one of the brothers that runs Pool Tron, their family’s business, and has extensive experience in the pool industry. His specialty is in concrete pools, and he goes to three educational classes per year to stay up-to-date on any new technology in the industry. He helped build Thunder River at Six Flags, and he was able to tell me his best advice for building a pool.

Types of Pools The first thing to note is that there are three main types of pools: concrete, fiberglass, and vinyl liners. When it comes to maintenance and longevity, there are some major differences between these materials.

Fiberglass pools tend to be less expensive and are very thin with the average shell being between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch thin. This can lead to a variety of issues as the pool ages and goes through seasons. Missouri has freezing and thawing seasons, and both will put pressure on your pool. When the pool’s shell is thin, the increased pressure during the seasonal changes will increase the pressure, which can cause push-ins or cracking to occur. Fiberglass pools can never be drained and need to have a pump put underneath it. While water will accumulate underneath your pool regardless of what it’s made of, fiberglass pools need sump pumps to get the water out to prevent the pressure from building up.

Because the sump pumps are underground, you won’t be able to tell when they go out until they’re no longer working. The pressure from the pump has the potential to poke holes in the bottom of the pool too.

Vinyl liner pools also tend to be less expensive, but they require more maintenance throughout their lives as they are more accident prone.

The liners can detach and float in the pool and need to be replaced every five to six years. The liners can sag with age and can be an eye-sore until replaced. Like fiberglass pools, they are thin and susceptible to the freeze and thaw periods of Missouri. These temperature fluctuations can push in on the pool, causing the liners to float and sag. They also require sump pumps underneath them to help drain the water from underneath.

Concrete pools are more expensive to install, but require far less maintenance in the long run. They are typically made of eight to ten-inch concrete shells and reinforced with rebar to hold it all together. Due to their high strength, the freeze and thaw periods should not cause any cracking or separation issues. They have interior finishes that tend to be either white plaster or Pebble Sheen. These both have a lifespan of 20-30 years. You’ll want to research builders carefully because major issues in concrete pools are typically caused by a poor builder.

Once you’ve selected the type of pool you want, you’ll want to research builders carefully. Dennis explained the importance of picking

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the right builder. When you’re spending a lot of money on building a pool, you want to know that the job is done correctly and that you have the guidance you need to make the right choices. You want to pick someone who is knowledgeable in all aspects of pool building: the structure, tiling, plumbing, and the construction process. They should know that the water needs to turn over every six hours to prevent algae and keep the water crystal clear. They’ll need to know which filtration system and which equipment is the right fit for your pool. Dennis suggested asking potential builders for construction photos and says that you should move forward with someone that will be in your yard every day to ensure a quick and smooth construction process.

Pool Placement After choosing your builder, you’ll want to think about where everything is going to go in your yard. You’ll want to decide where the pool will go, any pool accessories like slides or diving boards, and where the pump and filter system should go. Many times the yard and your personal preference will dictate where everything is installed, but you’ll want to make sure that you’re abiding by any neighborhood codes. If you have anything already in your yard, like a playground or septic line, then you’ll need to plan around that too.

When starting the installation process, your builder should come check out your backyard and get an idea of what you’re looking for.

You’ll work together to come up with a design that makes your dream a reality while being realistic to your yard and budget. When determining pool size and shape, you’ll need to take several things into consideration.

Do you have kids? Will you be using the pool for swimming laps or for entertaining? Do you want an infinity pool? Once you’ve decided what you from your pool, you can see how to make it work with your yard and budget. If your budget allows for it, you can also choose to turn a flat yard into something elaborate to fit with your pool needs. For example, a flatter yard isn’t ideal for a pool with a negative edge. But you can build your yard up to make it something achievable.

The pump and filter system are typically placed closer to your home. You’ll need to make sure that they are at the pool elevation or lower - never higher. If placed higher than the pool, then they can create issues down the road. A lot of people like to put their pump and filter systems near their gas and electric source to eliminate the cost of running it across their property. The side of your home near the AC units is also a good spot, and the sounds from the pump and filter system are typically around the same volume as the AC unit. If you don’t want to put it near your home, then you can get creative too. If you have a water feature then the system can be hidden behind it as well.

Designing Your Pool You’ll want to keep a few things in mind when choosing the aesthetic of your pool. Think again about where the pool will be placed in your yard. How will it flow with your deck? Do you want a more natural look or something that pops? Asking yourself questions like this will help you determine how the tiling, finish, and surrounding concrete will come together.

When picking a tile, you’ll want to think about not only the design but also the upkeep. Water will get behind the tiles, and when the water freezes it can cause them to pop off. With this in mind, you may want to opt for a larger tile rather than a small one.

There are a ton of different tiling options to choose from, whether you want a natural look, something shiny and retro, or something sleek and modern. Here again, your builder can guide you through the selection process to figure out the best look for your pool. Dennis advised choosing a tile that won’t blend too much because you want to accent your pool, not hide it. Your tiling is also something that you’ll have for a long time, so you want to choose something that you love. Be mindful of patterns if you like to change things up!

Rick and I went with a Pebble Sheen for our pool to achieve a more natural look. Pebble Sheen helps enhance the pool’s concrete to produce a much thicker material. It also makes the pool much more resilient to chemicals, which is something you’ll work with every day in swimming pools. While white marcite produces a nice, slick surface, Pebble Sheen holds up much longer against chlorine. The pool chemicals will eat away at the white marcite, causing it to flake off and erode down to the concrete shell. While it’s certainly an option, it is something that will need to be resurfaced.

If you have kids, then you may be thinking about adding accessories like slides and diving boards to your pools too. Here too, you’ll want to think about your budget and the styling. Slides can be a fun addition, but some people don’t like how the typical slide looks. A solution could be to build a stone slide that blends with the rest of the pool, but this can

get expensive quickly. Firepots are a popular additional to pools. These are a way to add some wow factor without interfering with the aesthetic.

Finally, you’ll want to think about the landscaping you’ll do around your new pool and your deck. If landscaping and pool installation sounds like too much to take on at once, Dennis recommends building your pool in the fall. That way you’ll be able to focus on finishing your pool before it gets too cold and can then focus on landscaping in the spring.

Alternatively, spring can be a great time to install your pool so it’s ready to enjoy during the summer. If you want a more natural looking pool, then you can put in a feature like a waterfall and add a few boulders.

Landscapers can help you determine what will look good with the style of pool you have and can help you achieve your goals. If you want to increase your privacy or have certain flowers you’d like to plant, then you’ll want to design around that as well.

You’ll want to plan how your deck will flow into your pool area too.

You can do several things with the concrete surrounding the pool itself.

You can opt for simple concrete, stamped concrete that makes it look like stone, or even have stone itself. When choosing the aesthetic of the pool itself, it could be useful to see what vibe your deck gives off. Is it more contemporary or is it built up and elegant? To beat the heat on your bare feet, Dennis suggests applying cool deck to keep it from getting too hot. You can even opt for a color-tinted cool deck like Rick and I did.

Digging and Navigating Issues When planning your budget, you’ll want to be sure that you have some padding in it should any problems arise while digging. Dennis explained some of the most common problems are clay, rocks, and unstable ground. While these issues won’t typically ruin the construction of your pool, they will make the process more expensive. And it’s almost impossible to know about these issues until you start digging.

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Certain areas are known for having specific natural obstacles, but even this knowledge can’t determine if you’ll face these issues. For example, expansive clay (clay that expands when wet) is common in Wentzville, and South County is known to be a rocky area. But it could be the case in either place that you won’t hit a single rock or run into clay. Ground is also unpredictable, and your builder can run into unstable ground that can prolong the digging process. If you have something like a septic line running through your yard, a chunk of dirt getting removed can disrupt earth from feet away and cause issues.

If the idea of running into these obstacles makes you nervous, you can perform a geotest. This can give you a heads up on anything that lies underground. However, opting for the geotest doesn’t always necessarily make the most economic sense. Tests can cost anywhere between $2,000-8,000, and that’s money you can use to just clear out any rocks or clay that you run into. These factors shouldn’t be a cause for alarm and shouldn’t deter you from building a pool, but it is something you’ll need to think about when setting your budget. Dennis also explained that he’ll always give his customers a heads up when they run into these situations and ask them if they’d like to keep going before proceeding.

Installation and Maintenance Again, be sure you’ve done your research when selecting a builder.

Pool Tron operates with everything in house, so they are able to coordinate processes internally and always have someone in your yard working on your pool. Dennis explained that it is typical for pool installation to take five to six weeks, but his team has been as fast as eighteen days. If you choose a builder that works with subcontractors, then the process can take three to six months to finish. This is why it’s important to find a builder who will be in your yard every day with the exception of inspections.

While going through our installation with Pool Tron, Rick and I were so impressed with how quickly they installed our pool. Dennis’ employees each specialize in a different part of the installation process. This keeps their work smooth and allows them to work on a constant flow of projects. As an example, all his coping crew does is coping. They’ll rarely be asked to work on another stage of the installation process like decking. They’ll go to a house, do the coping, and then they’re off to the next one. This allows his team to hone their craft and work quickly and efficiently. The members of this team truly respect one another, and they all have their own specialized training.

In terms of pool maintenance, Dennis explained that chlorine should be your first line of defense. Chlorine is typically enough to keep a residential pool clean, but Ozone and UV are common second lines of defense as well. While chlorine will kill any bacteria in your pool, you’ll still want to ensure that your water is turning over every six hours to keep algae from growing. Of course if you opt for a salt water pool, then you’ll want to be sure any additions to your pool are protected from the corrosive solution. While salt water isn’t as corrosive as many people assume (less so than our own sweat), you’ll still want to ensure that you have the right stainless steel (Dennis recommends a 3/16ths stainless steel) to coat any railings, slides, or ladders and keep them from rusting.

The idea of installing a pool can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful task if you work with the right builder. Rick and I found it to be an extremely rewarding decision. Just ensure that you do your research so the process goes as smoothly as possible. We are thrilled with

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the work that Pool Tron did. If you’re on the fence and can’t decide if a pool is right for your home, think of it as an investment. When you sell your home later, potential buyers will generally think of a pool as a selling point. The pool feels “free” to them since it’s included in the home price, and it saves them the trouble of installing it themselves. If your home is worth $700,000 or more, then many times buyers expect it to have a pool already installed. On the other hand, though, if you’re thinking of purchasing a home that has a pool, then you’ll want to research who built it. If it’s concrete, then you’ll want to be sure that the builder has a good reputation for installing gunite (concrete) pools so you can have the peace of mind in knowing it will last a long time without issue.

If a home has a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool, then you’ll want to make sure you’re up for the maintenance they’ll require.

A pool is a great way to increase the value of your home and make wonderful family memories. In higher end homes, it is anticipated that a pool has already been installed on the property. After going through a pool install myself I understand why even more, they just want to start enjoying their pool and not have to go through the install. I can understand that to a point, but there’s also something to be said about knowing everything that went into the pool install and that it was done correctly and designed the way you wanted it. So many times buyers are disappointed that there isn’t a deep end or in the shape. If you have it installed these are all things that you can decide and know the install was done right. Yard drainage not being done properly after pool installs is something we hear so much about in working with clients with buying and selling homes. I know that Pool Tron definitely goes the extra mile in this area to make sure you’re enjoying your pool for many years to come.

It’s fantastic being able to come home after work and unwind poolside after you’ve had a long day or entertain friends on the weekends. We all know the Missouri summer heat can be brutal, and it is so relaxing to cool off in an oasis in your own yard. If you’re interested in finding a home that already has a backyard retreat, give us a call. The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team would love to help you find your next dream home. If you’re looking to install a pool, give Pool Tron a call and let them help you make your backyard oasis a reality.

For a one-on-one consulation, please call: 314.428.1971 or visit pooltron.com.

10403 Trenton Ave. St. Louis, MO 63132

Since 1998

970 Cedars Valley Rd St. Albans, MO 63073

$849,900 3 Beds, 6 Baths, 3,420 sqft Custom built, all brick home located on the 13th tee of the Lewis and Clark golf course.

Finished hickory hardwood flooring t/o the main level, high ceilings w/ detailed mill work in most rooms & on staircase.

Contact Rick or Tracy Ellis for info: 636.299.3702 | Tracy@TracyEllis.com 636.699.2197 | Rick@TracyEllis.com www.TracyEllis.com TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 39

Thinking of Buying a Home On Acreage and

Have Questions About Owning a Septic?

A

lthough we’ve been in real estate for over 20 years and have helped many clients purchase homes with a septic system rather than a public sewer, it has been interesting experiencing it firsthand ourselves. As some of you may know, Rick and I made a move this year. It was important to us to have land and privacy with this home purchase. It can be challenging to find a property with three or more acres with a public sewer.

At first, I wasn’t too concerned about our home having a septic system – after all, I’ve been at many building inspections throughout the years.

But then we truly began to see what the process entails.

What is it about a septic system and the unseen underground that gives some of us anxiety? While the lack of a sewer bill was a nice thought, we came to realize that properly maintaining a septic system bears its own cost. I thought it would be helpful to discuss some of my

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own experiences so it may help you if you’re considering purchasing a home with a septic system.

When we purchased our new home, the yard was beautiful and perfect. In fact, what primarily drew us to the home was our love for the lot. You’d never know that there is a septic on the property since the area where the tank is located is so nicely landscaped and the drain field was dry and nicely cut. Let me tell you, this quickly changed shortly after we moved into our home.

Each county has different requirements, but the county we reside in requires current homeowners to do a septic inspection to bring it up to code prior to closing or creating an escrow with the title company.

It’s obviously hard to see what’s happening underground. Of course, there are tests performed and we had, in my opinion, the best inspector. I mean, we do this for a living!

What I’ve come to learn is that each homeowner lives in their home differently depending on the number of people occupying the property.

This occupant fluctuation can create issues. For example, our new home was empty for some time because the previous owner wasn’t living in it. This, of course, meant that the drain field looked its best because it wasn’t being used. Even when the home was occupied it only housed two people. Now that we’ve purchased the home, five people are occupying the property, doing dishes, laundry, and showering daily. That’s a huge difference in comparison to the previous lack of activity within the home. Within days, our beautiful lawn was soaking wet in the drain field.

At that point, it was difficult for Rick to even cut the grass due to such soggy conditions.

Luckily, at the time of the inspection, the county did feel that more drain field could be required. They had the seller establish an escrow account, and they’d recheck the septic after we had occupied the home for 60 days. It only took about a week to find out that we had serious issues. Our lovely yard was dug up in several areas to add additional drain field. Over a month later, the piles of dirt are still out there waiting to settle enough for the septic company to grade, seed, and straw. As if all that wasn’t enough, the new lines they added for the drain field still aren’t in use. Our yard is still staying wet in these areas. Additionally, they noted some sludge during the inspection. And what was this sludge? A thick, soft, wet, mixture of liquid and solid components. The pressure from the sludge blew the caps off our pipes several times. We were recently told that the sludge could indicate that the other lines are compacted. Until now, we’ve been waiting for the cause to be determined even though this was noted by our inspector in our original septic inspection report. It will now be our cost to address any additional repairs needed even though these items were found prior to us purchasing the home. So, we’ve been waiting for the company the seller originally hired to open the lines to see if it would resolve our problem and thought they had done so when they completed the grade, seed and straw recently. I mean, you’d think if they’ve been paid, all work is complete everything they had done would be up and running, wouldn’t you? Recently while Rick was cutting the grass he came inside, and I could tell he was just so disappointed. I asked what was wrong and he told me I just don’t understand it, we’ve done all this work and it’s still soaking wet in the drain field and my mower is just sinking in it. I finally had enough of the excuses or being spoken to as if I’m some city girl who just can’t handle a septic drain field.

I’m fine with a drain field, I just want it to work like it should and for the most part be dry. I decided to call a 3rd party that was neutral and not hired by the seller and within 5 minutes he told us what the issue was. Are you ready for this? The new 400 ft. of drain field that was installed a couple of months ago had still never been opened. That’s right, the lines had never been opened and on top of that the time dose panel was set to release to the drain field every hour for 8 minutes instead of every 4 hours for 10 minutes, huge difference. So, do yourself a favor and always get other opinions if something doesn’t feel right. I can’t thank Darrell Turnbull

enough with Turnbull Contracting for helping us resolve a problem that we’ve dealt with for months with little help. Rick and I will be telling everyone we know to call Darrell, he cared and showed up within an hour to our home. Darrell was leaving to go out of town the next day, but God works in mysterious ways. He was on his way to a store over an hour away from his home to buy a new suit for his trip when I called. The store happened to be only minutes from our house, so it worked out perfect. In less than 30 minutes he had found and fixed the issue. It was wonderful to feel like someone listened and helped us resolve the issue. Can you believe he didn’t even want us to pay him! Of course, we told him that wasn’t happening, we needed his help and he showed up in a big way, the least we could do was to pay for his new suit. If you’re in need of septic repairs, please call Darrell Turnbull at 573-324-6922.

The point of this article is simply to make you aware of everything that goes into a septic system. Make sure you are doing your own thorough inspections as well, and if something doesn’t seem right, persist until you feel comfortable with the given answers. I understand that for those who deal with septic systems daily, it’s routine. But for us just joining the party, it’s a new way of living.

I have learned more about septic’s in the past two months than I have during my 20 years of real estate. It’s an incredible process. Rick Wilcockson has been an invaluable resource and has helped us throughout this process. I’ve had to look at daily home activities in a completely different way. For example, I try not to do everyone’s laundry on the same day, I make sure the toilet paper we are using is septic friendly (biodegradable), I use a new laundry detergent, and I’ve discontinued my use of fabric softener (which I love). We also try to stagger showers and baths at different times of the day and try not to leave the water running while brushing our teeth. Perhaps the most difficult thing for me to adjust to, though, has been not putting anything down our garbage disposal.

At first, I was upset. And, I’m not going to lie, I’ve had my moments where I’ve thought why did I do this to myself? I don’t like having to worry about all these things, and I don’t like not being able to just fix something that isn’t working in my time frame. But, at the end of the day, I’d do it all again to have our home, the privacy, and the views.

Truth be told, a lot of the things we are doing now are things we should all do to help our environment regardless. Going through this experience

I’d do it all again to have our home, the privacy, and the views.”

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 41

and learning as much as I have over the past couple of months has really opened my eyes. We tend to get so busy and fail to be mindful of our water usage or of the effects of the products we’re putting down the drain.

My family is now much more conscious of our actions because we want to take the best care of our home. Once you have your septic and the drain fields set up properly for your family’s usage, then you shouldn’t have any issues if you keep them maintained and pumped on a regular basis. Most people would never know you even have a septic system. We are working towards this goal.

We felt it was important to speak from our experience, but I also want you to learn how a septic operates and specific tips from a professional. Although my husband Rick Ellis has become quite the expert on this topic and explains it all to me in detail, we want you to hear it straight from Rick Wilcockson who is the person we trust and go to with any septic system related questions.

Rick, tell us about your experience as a septic inspector?

Thanks for asking Tracy. During 1995, after receiving my bachelor’s degree in biology, I tested with the State of Missouri and started working as an Environmental Public Health Specialist. I covered Warren and Lincoln Counties in Missouri. Additionally, I worked closely with my colleagues in St. Charles County. After an extensive training program, I spent most of my time reviewing soil evaluations and approving new septic systems. Next a former state & county regulator and I authored three on-site wastewater ordinances. Over 24 years it has evolved to inspection consultant, licensed third party inspector, environmental, building, septic systems, water wells, water sampling and water treatment, annually logging 40,000 miles per year, covering six Missouri counties, working in a large market metro area, and completing around 800 inspections per year. We are state and county licensed and bonded and a member of the St. Louis area Better Business Bureau. Currently I am serving as the Education Committee Chairman for the Missouri Department of Health on-site program.

Are there different types of septic’s? Is there one you prefer more than another?

There are several. I will name the most common. Conventional, which is usually a standard septic tank made of either concrete, poly plastic, fiberglass, or concrete (the most common). Next conventional systems have gravel less, chamber, or 4-inch pipe and rock in the drain field. There are lagoons found in rural areas. We have old style systems in North St Louis County called filter beds, pits, and leech lines. Next we have more advanced systems: mounds, wetlands, low pressure pipe, and drip irrigation. Some of these advanced systems require a professional engineers’ design.

The soil evaluation of the property is what determines what type system should be used on the site. The number of bedrooms determines the gallons used to calculate tank and drain field sizing. For example, a three-bedroom house using a conventional drain field with suitable soils could be looking at 120 gallons per bedroom per day, equaling 360 gallons. The soil test has favorable soils, with a loading rate of 0.4 and a 1000-gallon septic tank with a filter.

120 GPD per bedroom x 3 equals 360 GPD. 360 divided by 0.4 loading rate from a favorable soil evaluation equals 900 square feet.

Divide this by two, and it equals 450 lineal or running feet of drain field.

42 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

This is the most favorable condition. However, as we both know, we have some clay soils in our area. So, then the math gets more difficult and systems can expand in size and cost.

These days we see a lot of drip irrigation systems. These systems are engineered designed, have class one aerated tanks, pump tanks, filter, valves, and a half inch drip tubing buried about 8 inches deep in the ground like telephone line. This system runs off timed dosing and up to 3000 feet of buried drip tubing.

We plan on providing you and your readers with a few videos of different types of systems in the future. With just the reader’s digest version of systems I have mentioned, I would select the drip irrigation as my choice of system. I do understand it is the most expensive system, however it has the best track record performing in clay soils.

What is a drain field? What are the caps at each end of the drain field?

A drain field works through a simple process. The perforated pipe receives the effluent (waste from the septic tank) and distributes it among the aggregate, and, as it trickles through the aggregate, the soil receives the effluent. The soil will filter out the harmful bacteria and reintroduce it back to the water table. The caps at each end or inspection ports allow the homeowner or contractor to view the level of the effluent and make sure the level is below ground level and equal in each inspection port.

Are there products people should avoid if they have a septic or things they should avoid doing?

Yes. Rid X, powdered detergents, excessive water, softener, brine, discharge, hygiene products, underwear, and cooking oil. The best way to care for your system is to use a good quality toilet tissue and spread your laundry out over the week. Be aware of a toilet water closet running after you have flushed. Also, shower and water usage should be on your mind. Some people shower until both 40-gallon hot water tanks are empty twice per day. Remember systems are based on 120 gallons per bedroom per 24-hour period. A properly designed and sized system along with responsible usage is the key.

How often do you think people should have their septic pumped?

I recommend having the tank pumped annually and system serviced. We forget about fats, oils, greases, and clogged filters.

Aerator life could be greatly extended with servicing.

How can people reach you if they’d like to have you inspect their septic?

We can be reached at 636 262-1303 or accuratesepticwellinsp@gmail.com

List with The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team!

Your home could make the cover, but ALL listings go in the magazine! Also be featured on FM Talk 97.1 and 590 The Fan. For more information, call: Tracy Ellis 636.299.3702 Rick Ellis 636.699.2197

QUACKERS WATERPROOFING & BASEMENT REPAIR FREE ESTIMATES AND A TRANSFERABLE LIFETIME OF THE STRUCTURE WARRANTY Crack Repair Carbon Fiber Reinforcement Wall Stabilization Sump pump/pit/drain system installation Concrete Leveling Piering Egress Window Installation Window Well Drain Installation Radon Testing & Radon Mitigation

Visit quackerswaterproofing.com or call 636-281-3735 for a free estimate

quackerswaterproofing.com 636-281-3735

403 Tudor Trace Ct Weldon Spring, MO 63304

$1,150,000 You may have seen this stunning custom built 1.5 story home before, but wait until you see it now w/ freshly painted interior, refinished flooring, new carpet & much more. Located in a private gated, 3 home cul-de-sac! Gorgeous 2 story entry & 2 story great room along w/ a wall of windows, crown molding & see through gas fireplace.

Contact Rick or Tracy Ellis for info: 636.299.3702 | Tracy@TracyEllis.com 636.699.2197 | Rick@TracyEllis.com www.TracyEllis.com

A Company Built on Trust and Integrity Specializing in Residential & Commercial Closings #1 Attorney Escrow Services Company in St. Louis by Missouri Lawyers Weeky Magazine Ranked Top 100 Places to Work by the St. Louis Post Dispatch

8 OFFICES SERVING ST. LOUIS, ST. CHARLES & SURROUNDING COUNTIES

314.835.3600 | TITLEPARTNERSAGENCY.COM TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 45

Thinking of Buying a Home with a Well?

NEW BUSINESS JOINING ESTABLISHED BUSINESS

Accurate Septic and Well Inspections is pleased to announce the opening of Eastern Missouri Water Lab, located at 1126 East Cherry St., Troy, MO 63379.

D

uring the past 24 years we have used both the state and local private labs for our real estate inspections. There is nothing worse than needing a weekend water sample and having no lab open to accept it without a large mark up on the weekend. This is what separates us from other water labs. We take Friday samples and read out on Saturdays at no additional charge.

The demands of a quick turnaround and being able to receive and process samples on Fridays without an additional $100.00 mark up, will make the inspection process much smoother. We also are $10.00 less for processing the sample than our competitors. We provide next day read outs of sample results.

What did it take to open the Water Lab one may ask? It started off with having a degree in biology, I thought all those classes would pay off one day. We choose a site, bought our equipment, spent two months setting up. We developed policies and procedures based on EPA guidelines that included writing quality assurance procedures and standard operating procedures. Next all lab technicians went through a series of practical testing, performing water samples under set EPA criteria.

We spent time calibrating incubators and test equipment. Then it was

46 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

time for the Missouri Department of Health and Missouri Department of Natural Resources to perform an audit to operate. That was a little more than three hours long. After a few minor adjustments we were ready for business.

Let’s talk a little about coliform bacteria that we test for: How many coliforms are OK in drinking water?

Maximum Acceptable Concentration for Drinking Water = none detectable per 100 mL This means that in order to conform to the guideline: For every 100 mL of drinking water tested, no total coliforms or E. coli should be detected. Coliform in water will turn a dull yellow in the bottle during the 18- or 24-hour testing period. We use colilert 18 hour and 24-hour testing substrate. The sample sits in the incubator for 18 or 24 hours depending on the test at 35 Celsius. The sample will be almost clear when coliform is absent.

Let’s talk about E. coli we test for: Of the five general groups of bacteria that comprise the total coliforms, only E. coli is generally not found growing and reproducing in the environment. Consequently, E. coli is considered to be the species

directly linked to fecal contamination by the wastes of warm-blooded animals, including humans.

Total coliform is a large collection of different kinds of bacteria.

Fecal coliform are types of total coliform that exist in feces. E. coli is a subgroup of fecal coliform.

How to solve the contamination issue: Shocking a Well to Remove Coliform Bacteria.

If you are buying a home with a well system and not public water you should absolutely be doing a water quality test. ... Not all Coliform will carry diseases but they can indicate the presence of other bacteria and viruses that can cause illnesses, such as E. Coli.

We only recommend a Missouri Licensed Water Well Driller to chlorinate and flush your well. Next two satisfactory samples taken 7 days apart. The question is always asked why two samples? The seven-day period gives enough time to make sure there is not a re-growth of bacteria, which could indicate well casing or other contamination issues.

Sometimes a UV light disinfection system is needed when conventional methods cannot produce a satisfactory water sample.

Future articles will include the procedure to properly collect a water sample, storage temperature for transport and delivery.

We are located at 1126 East Cherry Street Troy, MO 63379. Office number: 636 775-2889 Clear is negative for total coliforms and E. coli

Yellow is positive for total coliforms.

Flourescent is positive for E. coli.

Cell: 636 358-7797 or try Rick at 636 383-8999.

Hours of operation Monday- Friday 8:30 am- 1:30 PM, 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM. We read out and send Friday samples on Saturdays.

Call for pricing, bear in mind you’ll will need to be licensed to take a sample for a real estate transaction. However, for your own knowledge/ personal sample you can pick up a sample bottle, follow instructions and drop it off at the lab for $35.00.

Official Collection for a Real Estate Transaction is $195.00 which includes our licensed technician coming to your site, collecting the sample/ lab fees and report included in this price. We also take samples for FHA/VA loans that require additional testing, call for pricing.

Rick holds a degree in biology from Missouri Baptist University and is a former Missouri Environmental Public

of coliform bacteria that is the best indicator of fecal pollution and the possible presence of pathogens. E coli will be fluorescent, a bright blue under a UV light when present; and clear non-fluorescent when absent.

What is the difference between total coliform, E. coli and non-coliform bacteria? Most of the total coliforms are not considered pathogens under normal conditions. E. coli is a species of coliform bacteria that is

Health Specialist. He is currently licensed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as a water well driller, pump installer, and Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services as a Missouri Licensed On-Site septic system and well inspector.

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 47

T N RE FOR

Looking For Investment Properties?

I specialize in taking distressed city properties and renovating them, with a thematic inspiration or design that is one of a kind, and budget friendly, for use as a short term rental. I also do property management, both short and long term, am a real estate broker, and an Illinois and Missouri licensed attorney, specializing in property related matters, with The Winning Law Firm, LLC.

T

hinking of purchasing an investment property as an Airbnb, because you heard everyone is doing it, and its easy money?

In addition to the necessary analysis that your broker needs to do to determine if a piece of property is a good investment and fit for your specific needs, there is an additional layer of analysis that needs to be done to see if that property is a good candidate for use as a short term rental (STR). Find a QUALIFIED agent or broker that understands the complexities of the STR market specifically. They will have specialized software and knowledge that you need to make this determination. There are some properties that

48 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

may be a good investment property, but not for STR’s. Do NOT purchase and fully furnish an STR without first consulting with a qualified broker. More than one person has done so, only to find out that it is a violation of their subdivision bylaws, lease, or municipality. Having an experienced STR broker to help you through the process, they can help you find a property that checks your boxes, and can be used for the purpose intended.

Why do an STR at all?

Well‌.. It depends. If you used a broker specializing in STR investments, they should have found you a good investment, which

also could be utilized as an STR. There are some advantages to using your investment property as an STR. The average net is 20-30% higher than using that property as a long term traditional tenant rental. There are some that substantially outperform those figures. The wear and tear on your property is actually less than what it would be with most long term (LT) rentals. You have regular access to your property, and can usually prevent major damage. There are fewer problems with rent collection, far less likelihood of eviction or holdover tenants, and it’s easier to schedule maintenance or repairs to the property in between guests. Not all properties are good as investments, and not all investment properties are good as STR’s.

What are the disadvantages?

It is a lot more work often times, then doing an LT. Unless you plan on doing it all yourself, and can do it full-time, you will need to hire a good property manager specializing in STR. Much is the business is seasonal or on demand, and you need to have good maintenance people, and a reliable and efficient cleaning staff pretty much on call. Many LT landlords are not as familiar with the laws as they should be. Don’t make that mistake with your STR. There is a veritable minefield of legal issues you may encounter while running your STR, even prior to a booking. Be prepared, and protect yourself by getting good legal counsel.

What is an STR anyway?

Well most people just call it an Airbnb, but Airbnb is just a platform for STR’s, but there are many others. The question of which STR platforms to use is another analysis entirely. A short term rental is a furnished (usually) property of some sort, that can be rented for as little as one night. There is some confusion with the vacation rental market, which has been around forever, and is also a furnished property that can be rented for a short time frame. The primary difference is that those are usually in “destination” locations, beachside, ski, etc., in traditionally tourist places, whereas an STR can be in a popular city, or resort area, or a little known place not associated with travel or tourism at all.

What makes for a good STR? Well just like with many properties, location is a huge factor. But first find out, is it legal there? Will there be an issue with the neighbors? Is it near an airport? Hospital? University? Convention center?

Popular tourist area? Public transportation? All of that matters, since this is often not a “vacation rental”, who is going to be your target demographic? Are they going to want to stay where your property is located? While you will get some travelers that are looking for a local “staycation”, if you are not in a destination location, you need to be focusing on other markets.

ney and insurance agent, to make sure you are covered in the event that someone is hurt on your property, or damage is done to your property.

A good consultant should know the basics regarding these issues and more, and can point you to the right vendors. They should also be able to assist in getting the proper permits or licenses if applicable, PRIOR to opening. Then set a décor budget, and stick to it. Talk with a tax professional so you are getting all the maximum deductions, as well as paying all appropriate taxes. Remember, this is a business. Run it like one. The average commission for an STR property manager ranges from 10-35% locally. It is well worth it, unless you have unlimited free time, can do all the maintenance and housekeeping yourself, guest relations, late night issues, legal issues, etc. A good property manager will help protect your property from damages, and you from liability, and keep the cash coming in.

Things to come.

The STR market has exploded locally, with no signs of slowing.

Litigation is increasing as municipalities and tax authorities try to figure out how to handle this growing home share economy. Expect changes to come your way in the next few years. The “Wild West” of the STR markets is coming to an end. Be a responsible property owner and neighbor. You probably have home owners living next to your STR. Talk with them first. Get their input. They can be your greatest ally or worst enemy. Properly manage your property, screen your guests, handle issues, and set policies that are neighborhood friendly.

If your property is a multi-unit building, NEVER make more than 50% of the units STR’s. Don’t buy up a string of properties on a block and make them all STR’s. Use common sense. If things are going on at your property that you wouldn’t want to live by, probably no one else does either. Get involved with local STR groups.

Contact me with the Rick and Tracy Ellis Team regarding your next/ current investment or STR purchase!

Shana A. Martinis The Consulting Countess, LLC. The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team Office Phone/Fax: 314.875.0202 ConsultingCountess@gmail.com

My qualified broker/agent found me a good investment property for use as an STR, now what?

Unless you can devote full time to it, get a good property manager, experienced in the STR market. Consult with someone knowledgeable about the STR market before purchasing any furnishings. There are insurance and liability considerations that must go into the design and décor, not just financial ones. Consult with a good attor-

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 49

Greg Rowles

Rolwes Co: Building Community and Trust Through Homebuilding

The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team are excited to exclusively represent Rolwes Co.

T

he Rick and Tracy Ellis Team are excited to exclusively represent Rolwes Co. We have been in the real estate business for over 20 years and have worked with several builders. We’ve always loved the affordable pricing Rolwes offers, along with excellent customer service. Our team sat down with founder Greg Rolwes and asked him to share more about his company, creative process, and the Rolwes difference.

Tracy Ellis: I’d like to start by asking you to tell us about the story behind Rolwes. How did the company get started?

Greg Rolwes: Well, I always say home building is in my blood.

My grandfather was a home builder and then, of course, my father was a home builder. So, it was kind of a natural progression that I would be in the industry since I enjoyed watching them so much growing up. What truly excited me was seeing a raw piece of dirt become a community where homeowners are able to raise and enjoy their families and the homes that were built for them. That feeling proved to me that I wanted to do this for a living by taking what I had learned and starting my own company.

50 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

Tracy Ellis: Take us through the visualization process when you’re looking at a piece of property to develop.

Rolwes: You kind of get this visual picture in your mind of how the streets would lay out, where the homes would be, and the scenery the homeowners will experience from their windows or backyards.

We’re looking at lifestyles, really, and it’s important to us to appeal to that lifestyle our buyers are looking for.

Tracy Ellis: How do you name each community?

Rolwes: There is no real direct science for it! Sometimes it’s the street the community is going to be on, sometimes it’s the previous landowner’s name, such as Wilson Estates, and sometimes it’s places around the world or places within our own communities. You know, it varies -- it’s nothing to be exact.

“I always say home building is in my blood.”

Tracy Ellis: What do you think sets Rolwes apart from other builders?

Rolwes: We pride ourselves on building quality homes, and with that comes a well-designed home that families or individuals will live in and enjoy for years to come. We try to do it at a very fair price, which we call the value; we want our homes to be of the best value out there. We do that by combining quality with design and price, which is the value proposition that we try to fulfill.

We serve each other, and all of our employees are accountable to one another. We strive to have happy employees who are proud of where they work and want to serve their customers by delivering a great product to them. We also believe in quality over quantity and apply that to everything we do, which makes our work stand out and shows our customers that we are committed to building what they want.

Tracy Ellis: How do you keep up with the latest styles and trends?

Rolwes: We find out about trends and styles by simply listening to our clients to find out specifically what they’re looking for! Then, we decipher that and turn it into a home style that they can enjoy.

Tracy Ellis: Tell us about some of the new communities readers can be looking out for!

Rolwes: We always have new communities - we have Chapelwood Place which is in St. Louis County off of Big Bend. Then, we have Kingston Hills which is going to be right at the St. Louis County/ Jefferson County border and is off of 141. We also have Devonshire Estates that is going to be in South County. We are starting development now and look forward to having those ready soon!

The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team would like to sincerely thank Greg for taking the time to tell us more about his company. If you’re looking for affordable housing by a detail-oriented builder who excels at customer service, Rolwes Co. should be one of your top choices.

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 51

COMMUNITIES FROM ROLWES COMPANY Building on a Rolwes family legacy of homebuyer satisfaction since 1955, St. Louis home builder Rolwes Company has a reputation for delivering innovative floor plans, quality craftsmanship and proactive service.

FOX RIDGE

Price Range: Low $200’s | Schools: Wentzville R-IV Fox Ridge is conveniently located just off Mexico Road, which provides quick access to Interstate 70. Rolwes Company is proud to introduce our Classic Series of homes to this great community, which features open concept ranch floor plans, elegant 3 and 4 bedroom two story plans, and a 1.5 story plan that can’t be beat. Fox Ridge offers fabulous homesites and energy-efficient, low-maintenance, brilliantly livable home designs. Phase II now selling, stop by our NEW Model Home Located at 205 Barrington Ridge Lane.

New Home Specialist: Christie Sabo

ASPEN MEADOWS

Price Range: From the $290’s | Schools: Francis Howell Central Location: Cottleville, MO Aspen Meadows is centrally located only 5 minutes from Downtown Cottleville and St. Charles Community College. This private enclave community of 17 homesites is selling out fast! If you’re looking for a home in Cottleville, don’t miss out on our last opportunity. Move-In Ready Princeton style home coming soon.

New Home Specialist: Steve Lane

KENSINGTON ESTATES

Price Range: From the $380’s | Schools: St. Charles City Location: St. Charles, MO Large Estate homes on 6 over sized Homesites nestled in a quiet existing community. Located a few minutes from hwy 94 and 1-70. Close to shopping and historic downtown St. Charles as well as minutes from Lambert Inter-national. We offer open concept plans including Ranches, 2 story and 1-1/2 story plans with a variety of standard features that are sure please. Don’t have time to build? Move-In Ready homes available.

New Home Specialist: Steve Lane

CERNY ESTATES

Price Range: From the $370’s | Schools: Rockwood Location: Eureka, MO Cerny Estates offers picturesquze home sites which average just under 1 /2 acre in size! Cerny Estates features our Estate Series of floor plans, which will are well appointed with standard features such as 3 car garages, 9’ ceilings, wood burning fireplace in award winning Rockwood school district.

New Home Specialist: Carole Gerretsen

52 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

HARTFORD GLEN

Price Range: From the $230’s | Schools: Fox C-6 Location: Fenton Conveniently located near Highway 141, 30 and 270. Cul-de-sac living for privacy and safety-no thru traffic. Located Just minutes from Gravois Bluffs for convenient shopping and dining. This community is comprised of stunning family-sized homes with convenient ranch and two story floor plans with a remarkable value.

New Home Specialist: Carole Gerretsen

HERITAGE POINTE

Price Range: Low $230’s | Schools: Wentzville R-IV Location: Wentzville, MO Heritage Pointe has only a few home sites remaining! Located about half-way between 1-70 and 1-64/40, and just minutes from 364, Heritage Pointe has it all, including a neighborhood pool! These walk-out home sites are ready for your new dream home. The community offers a variety of ranch, 1.5 story, and 2 story plans starting in the $230s. Heritage Pointe offers the sought-after cul-de-sac neighborhood design offering residents security and privacy, while still providing the benefits of area amenities such as state of the art healthcare, exquisite shopping, dining and entertainment. Stop in to our NEW display located at 1002 Crystal Creek Parkway.

New Home Specialist: Michelle Barteau

WILSON ESTATES

Price Range: High $300’s | Schools: Mehlville Location: Oakville, MO Schools: Melville School District Elegant cul de sac enclave featuring 1 s home sites and our popular Estate Series floor plans. Ranch, Two Story and 1.5 Story floor plans come well appointed with 9’ ceilings, 3 car garages, 5 1/4” base boards, wood burning fireplace, and more. Move-In Ready ranch-style Canterbury home now available!

New Home Specialist: Carole Gerretsen

www.rolwesco.com 314.499.6700 | info@RolwesCo.com

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 53

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS

Price Range: From the $220’s | Schools: Fox C-6 Location: Imperial, MO Upon arrival of this “hidden gem” as many call it, you’ll be amazed by the craftsmanship and detail even at the entrance! As a leading home builder In Jefferson County for more than half a century, Rolwes Company is dedicated to offering superior quality at an affordable price with homes starting from the $220’s. With modern floor plans designed and created by the Rolwes family with livability in mind, we offer private homesites and customizable options to suit your own unique lifestyle whether you are looking for a single, 1.5 or 2 story home. Phase II coming soon!

New Home Specialist: Danielle Tucker

SCENIC VIEW ESTATES

Price Range: From the $190’s | Schools: Festus R-VI Location: Festus, MO Scenic View Estates is one of the most sought after locations in Jefferson County and right in the heart of Festus and In the Festus School District, only a few short minutes off of Hwy 55 and the Herculaneum exit. The name of this community didn’t happen by chance -you’ll fall in love with the rolling hills, lush trees, and breath-taking views of the city that span for miles. With a variety of single story, 1.5 story, and 2 story plans to chose from. we are confident that your Rolwes Company home will serve your lifestyle now and for many years to corner.

New Home Specialist: Danielle Tucker

BROOKFIELD CROSSING

Price Range: From the low $300’s | Schools: Wentzville R-IV Location: Lake St. Louis, MO Brookfield Crossing is a gorgeous community in Lake St. Louis. This neighborhood is comprised of stunning luxury homes with convenient floor plans, remarkable value and expert craftsmanship. Every component of each new home has been meticulously designed and crafted to meet the expectations we have set over more than half a century. Browse our many floor plans and models to imagine the way you and your family will live in Lake St. Louis for many years to come. Whether you are looking for a ranch, a 1.5 story or a 2 story, we have the plan for you. We even offer customizable options to suit your own unique lifestyle! Be sure stop in and tour our NEW Model Home located at 103 Brookfield Crossing Drive.

New Home Specialist: Terra Sherman

www.rolwesco.com 314.499.6700 | info@RolwesCo.com

54 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

CHAPELWOOD

Price Range: From the $560’s | Schools: Parkway South Location: Kirkwood, MO Tucked In an intimate, privately wooded enclave just west of 270 in Kirkwood MO, Chapelwood offers gorgeous, oversized, fully-sodded and abundantly landscaped homesites with large, open floor plans and many upgrades included as standard features.

New Home Specialist: Carole Gerretsen

CRYSTAL CREEK

Price Range: From the $220’s | Schools: Wentzville R-IV Location: Wentzville, MO Crystal Creek neighborhood offers a sought-after cul-de-sac designed for privacy and safety, eliminating drive-through traffic. Parents can rest easy knowing their children are receiving a world-class education at Heritage Elementary, Wentzville Middle School and Holt High School. Enjoy this location near great shopping and restaurants with easy access to Wentzville Parkway, which provides a convenient commute to 1-70 or 1-40/64. Beautiful, fully-sodded, walkout homesites provide the foundation for a great outdoor lifestyle. With intelligent, forward-thinking floor plans, Rolwes Company provides the most energy-efficient, low maintenance, brilliantly livable home design in Wentzville, MO. Crystal Creek offers a variety of ranch, 1.5 story and 2 story homes ranging from about 1550 square feet to 2,800 feet of luxury living space; all starting in the mid $220s! Be sure to stop by and tour our NEW Model Home located at 1002 Crystal Creek Parkway.

New Home Specialist: Michelle Barteau

YOUR LAND OUR PLAN

Price Range: From the $200’s Style of homes available: Various to suit every budget Rolwes takes the stress out of building one of our custom designed homes. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when trying to build a home outside of a traditional community is the construction loan and disbursement process through a title company. Rolwes Company eliminates this process and makes building on your land as simple as building in one of our established communities.

For More information contact Carole Gerretsen at (314) 332-3377

COMING SOON

Chapelwood Place – Kirkwood, MO | Fall 2019 Enclave at Park Hills & Meadows at Crooked Creek – Troy, MO | Fall 2019

www.rolwesco.com 314.499.6700 | info@RolwesCo.com

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 55

VIP VENDOR LIST APPLIANCE VENDOR

Pacific Kitchen and Home

314-443-5048

DECKS

Decks and Beyond LLC

314-539-1225

ASPHALT AND SEALING

A1 Professional Asphalt and Sealing

618-660-8711

BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

Quacker’s Waterproofing

and Basement Repair

ELECTRIC

Paramount Electric

Roberts Electric

314-226-6551 636-256-8170

636-281-3735

BLINDS

Two Blind Guys

The Blind Broker of STL, LLC

ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS

Criterium- Haroy Engineers

Architect

314-878-0806 314-640-4447

636-537-8008 636-970-7283

BUILDING SUPPLIES

Arrowhead Building Supply

Tree Court Builders Supply

ESTATE SALES

Davis Estate Sales

M.J.’s Estate Sales, LLC

314-330-0004 314-440-5175

636-970-1976 314-568-3300

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Benjamin F. Edwards

Northwestern Mutual

314-854-9909 314-640-2083

FLOORING

Edwards Carpet

Beseda Flooring

St Louis Wood Floor

314-993-0808 636-926-9989 314-369-6857

GARAGE DOOR REPAIR

Anco Overhead Door

636-343-9167

HANDYMAN

All My Girls

636-697-2805

HOME STAGERS/DESIGNERS

Inhance-IT

Yours By Design

Heather Hannick Designs

314-486-5354 314-283-1760 314-814-2577

HOME WARRANTY

HSA Home Warranty

Home Warranty of America

636-346-5237 314-562-5099

HVAC

Academy Air

Swiss Air Heating and Cooling

General Contracting

Gold Kamp Heating and Cooling

314-720-3580 636-978-7800 314-607-8906 314-488-5330

BUILDING INSPECTORS

Pillar to Post 636-928-0760

Denny Arnett Home Team Inspection 3 14-732-5954 CARPET CLEANING AND AIR DUCTS

Aim Carpet and Air Duct Cleaning 314-941-1340

Dalmation Cleaning and Restoration 314-423-0101

AdvantaClean 636-219-3877 CLEANERS

Saint Louis Sparkle Clean

Merry Maids

314-518-0672 636-825-9650

CONCRETE

D.M. Terrill Concrete

Rick Thomas Concrete

Hoffman Concrete LLC

636-458-4555 314-698-0391 314-544-3484

CONSTRUCTION

ARC Construction

Lifetime Roofing and Renovation

Titan Construction

Absolute Exteriors

636-946-7855 636-336-6951 314-243-8802 314-713-9800

CREDIT REPAIR

Phoenix Credit Consultants

314-429-2040

56 TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE

INSURANCE

State Farm Jim Schilkoski

Ben Hagan Farmers Agency

Lanham Agency LLC

636-978-4800 314-635-9300 636-779-5976

IRRIGATION

Henry’s Irrigation

636-466-5324

JUNK REMOVAL

Dirt Cheap Hauling and Demo

636-579-6081

KITCHEN REMODELS

Nettie White Interiors

314-780-6195

LAWN CARE

Green Elements

Richard Katz Designs, LLC

314-764-5296 314-956-2058

MOLD REMOVAL

AdvantaClean

Moldman St. Louis

636-219-3877 314-282-9791

MORTGAGE

St. Charles Mortgage

Golden Oak Lending

USA Mortgage MOVING COMPANIES

Renew Transfer

Goodfellas Moving

Simple Moves OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Dusk to Dawn Outdoor Lighting

The Lawn Champs

PEST CONTROL

Richardsons Pest

Blue Chip Pest Control

RADON

Quacker’s Waterproofing

and Basement Repair

St Louis Radon Test and Mitigation

AdvantaClean

Midwest Radon and Mitigation

636-281-3735 636-200-2875 636-219-3877 636-575-1767

RETAINING WALLS

Retaining Walls LLC

314-608-1982

ROOF AND SIDING

Signature Exteriors. INC

Crown Restoration LLC

Lifetime Roofing and Renovation

636-248-9418 636-358-4962 636-336-6951

ROOF/SIDING CLEANERS

Clean Roof STL

Curb Appeals Pros

Mid West Softwash

314-221-9255 314-698-3282 636-614-0375

SEPTIC REPAIRS

Turnbull Contracting

573-470-6741

314-607-8551 314-590-6815 314-497-7435

TUCK POINTING

Galati and Sons Tuck Pointing

St Louis Brick and Tuck-pointing

314-220-7012 636-253-8096

314-223-8301 314-405-8228 636-916-5333

WATER/FIRE RESTORATION

Belfor by Belfor USA Group, Inc. 636-728-0580

Crown Restoration LLC 636-358-4962

Fast Help 314-278-6050

Dalmation Cleaning and Restoration 314-423-0101

314-529-0090 636-697-2311

WATER PURIFICATION

ThreeStrand

Trionics Superior Water

636-940-4007 636-928-0601

636-387-2400 636-970-1180

WINDOWS AND AWINGS

Glenlo Awning and Window

Pella Windows and Doors

Tree court Builders Supply

314-578-6450 314-714-0122 314-578-1966

PLUMBING

MCX Plumbing Inc.

Sewer Pros

R.A. Guinner Plumbing Company

314-729-3977 314-821-1600 314-752-9850

POOL INSPECTIONS

Unique Pool Management

Midwest Pool Builders

Pool Tron

314-280-3451 314-853-8330 314-575-5720

WINDOW CLEANERS AND POWER WASHERS

Midwest Softwash 636-614-0375

Window-Brite 636-577-3325

Born Again Restoration 314-985-9536

Curb Appeals Pros 314-698-3282 WINDOW REPAIR AND BROKEN THERMAL SEALS

Floyd Glass 636-922-3569

Glass Guru (St. Charles) 636-980-1616

CONTACT RICK OR TRACY ELLIS FOR MORE INFO: 636.299.3702 • Tracy@TracyEllis.com | 636.699.2197 • Rick@TracyEllis.com | www.TracyEllis.com

TRACY ELLIS: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE 57

MARKETING APPROACH THE ELLIS TEAM LISTINGS:

STRATEGIC MARKETING:

✦✦ The Ellis’ have 2 professional photographers and feature their listings with HDR photography, aerial and sunset photography along with video.

✦✦ You’ll find 10 billboards all over St.Louis promoting The Rick and Tracy Ellis real estate radio shows to bring more attention to our listings.

✦✦ 3-D imagery and videography ✦✦ The Ellis’ listings are showcased on www.tracyellis.com, www.rickandtracyellisteam. com, and 157 additional web sites.

THE ELLIS TEAM MAGAZINE: ✦✦ Publisher, creator and editor of Tracy Ellis: Real Estate Magazine. ✦✦ You’ll find the magazine in over 150 businesses in St. Louis, St. Charles County, Lincoln, Lake of the Ozarks and Illinois ✦✦ The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team will write a story about your property, not just a paragraph in the MLS. ✦✦ Your home could be featured on the cover, but will definitely be featured in our magazine

✦✦ Tune in to the The Rick and Tracy Ellis show on 590 The FAN every Saturday at 9 am and Sunday at 10 am. ✦✦ The Rick and Tracy Ellis show airs every Saturday at 9 am and Sunday at 10 am on FM TALK 97.1, 98.7 FM, & 1490 AM in St. Louis. ✦✦ All of our listings are promoted on all of our weekly radio shows on 4 different stations. ✦✦ Sandy Miller from FOX 2 News joins us every Saturday at 9 am and shares our show on her social media. ✦✦ In 2019 The Ellis will be creating a new vlog series highlighting their homes with client interviews about their properties along with local vendors ✦✦ Rick and Tracy also have a Podcast of all of their shows. ✦✦ We have many websites to generate traffic, including our own pages on FM TALK 97.1.

58 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

✦✦ The Ellis Team Post and target ads daily on all social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. ✦✦ Advertising in Ladue News ✦✦ Morning LIVES/ Commercials with Marc Cox and Denys Schaffer from The Marc Cox Show on FM TALK 97.1, you’ll also find a video testimonial from Marc Cox on www. tracyellis.com ✦✦ The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team have had properties featured on Show Me St. Louis and FOX 2 News in the morning 6 times in 2017. ✦✦ The Ellis’ plan social/ charitable events to target the right audience. They planned an event for 150 guests at their listing at 1126 Wings Rd. in St. Albans that benefited MMMF. Tracy Ellis is on the Executive Board of Directors of several charities in the area and heads up the Committee for Events and Fundraising on two charities, The Base Foundation and the Keira Strong Forever Foundation.

This allows the Ellis’ to host events in their properties and bring even more attention to their listings including local media coverage. The Ellis’ recently had Josh Flagg in

town from Million Dolllar Listing LA for an event at a $30,000,000 home in Lake St. Louis to benefit Little Patriots Embraced.

PARTNERS/NETWORKING: ✦✦ The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team have received The Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist™ (CLHMS) designation. This assures affluent buyers and sellers that real estate professionals have the knowledge, experience, and unique skills to meet their needs. Members of The Institute who hold the CLHMS designation have documented performance in the TOP 10% of their residential markets and have successfully demonstrated their expertise in the luxury home and estate market. ✦✦ We work with top real estate agents all over the USA and other countries and currently have almost 40,000 real estate agents in our direct referral network. ✦✦ The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team have a Land division.

This means if you have land or a property of 5 acres or more, your property will go on additional web sites nationwide including Lands of America where properties receive thousands of views that turns into buyer leads.

ADMINISTRATIVE MARKETING ✦✦ The Ellis Team has a marketing assistant who creates all of our marketing materials such as post cards, door knockers and brochures. ✦✦ The Ellis Team has a full time office manager who currently handles the paperwork on all files, direct contact with all clients and all administrative work. ✦✦ We have a full-time contractto-close coordinator who will handle the transaction from contract to close. ✦✦ The Ellis Team has a social media expert to handle all of our social media needs to make sure our clients homes are receiving maximum exposure. ✦✦ The Ellis Team has experienced, full-time agents on our team who specialize with both buyers and sellers.

The Ellis’ have many years of experience with Relocation buyers and have worked with several of the National Relocation companies as well.

THE RICK & TRACY ELLIS TEAM EXPERIENCE ✦✦ Rick & Tracy have both been in real estate for over 20 years. They’ve hosted their own weekly radio show for over 8 years and created/ published their own real estate magazine for almost 5 years. You’ll find their magazine, Tracy Ellis: REAL ESTATE MAGAZINE in over 150 businesses throughout the St. Louis area year round. Rick and Tracy Ellis have sold over $200 million in real estate. The Ellis’ have a passion for marketing and have enjoyed telling the story of their properties. It’s very important to The Ellis’ to do everything they can to make sure their properties are marketed to the largest audience. Each agent on The Ellis Team takes pride in educating their clients about our great city, while helping them find their perfect home.

✦✦ The Ellis Team has a terrific, professional designer who creates our magazines and team literature. ✦✦ The Ellis Team has two writers on staff for stories in magazine, MLS and social media.

Looking to buy or sell?

Allow us to help you...

Call the Rick & Tracy Ellis Team at 636-699-2197 or 636-299-3702.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 59

Saturday c9 an Sunday 10 You now tune into our r adio show on even more s t ations! at

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Real EstateRadio Network

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TheRick& Real Estate TracyEllis Radio Network

Real Estate Radio Network Saturday at 9 AM | Sunday at 10 AM

Saturday at 9 AM & Sunday at 10 AM at 9 amatand Saturday atSaturday 9 AM | Sunday 10 AMSunday at 10 am on FM TALK 97.1 and 590 The Fan

Sandy Miller joins us on Saturdays at 9 am on FM TALK 97.1 and 590 The Fan

Lear n more at w w w.Tr ac yEllis .com