My Prayers For Those Along The Mighty Mississippi River  This picture is of a granary right on the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinios. Alton is the landing place for those coming across the river from St Louis. I went to college a few miles up the River and that's where my son attends also.I haven't found any pictures of the little Village of Elsah, but I know they are flooded also. The college, Principia College is high on the bluffs, so I know they are safe, but we have a real connection to the small towns around us.Tragic!One of the things that makes me the saddest is that the kids aren't in school right now to help. I remember when I was a student heading down to help sandbag the residents of Elsah, Alton and Grafton. Principia has a great sense of community. The students would b... 12/31/2015

2014 Fireworks and Fourth of July Celebrations In & Around Edwardsville, IL The communities in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs love to celebrate the Fourth of July with booming fireworks and all-American picnics, parades and parties. Here's a quick list of some of the sparkling activities in Madison County, IL over the 2014 Independence Day holiday that will help you and your family have a wonderful summer break: Alhambra -- July 4 at 9 p.m. in Township Park Alton -- July 3 at 9:15 p.m. at the Mississippi Riverfront Edwardsville -- July 5 at 9:20 p.m. at the American Legion Park Godfrey -- July 4 at 9:15 p.m. at Glazebrook Community Park Granite City -- July 4 at 9:15 p.m. "Patriots in the Park" at Coolidge Middle School on Nameoki and Fehling roads. Highland -- July 4 in Glick Park at dusk... 07/01/2014

I first became familiar with Homes for Heroes when my husband and I purchased our first home in Dallas, Texas. My husband was a Dallas police officer at the time, so we were able to take advantage of the unbelievable rewards and discounts from Homes for Heroes that we never knew existed! We later moved back to our hometown of Collinsville, Illinois and I was able to obtain my real estate license, so it was an easy decision to become an affiliate of Homes for Heroes. As the wife of an active Police Officer and the daughter of a retired Firefighter, I know the sacrifices that are made by those who serve and their families. I am honored to be able to give back to those who have already given so much. 03/10/2014

OPEN HOUSE: 202 Aspen Pt., Glen Carbon, IL Sunday, January 26, 1 to 3 NEW PRICE! For $214,000 this home has everything you need and want: three bedrooms,including a master suite with luxe tub and walk-in closet; cozy fireplace; two full baths; wood floors; vaulted ceiling, main floor laundry and a two-car garage. It's clean, neat, neutral, bright and located in a great spot for an easy commute around the region. "Wow" is the only word for the huge amount of finished space in the walkout lower level. Approximately 1,000 square feet is separated into a family room and a second flexible space that could be a game room, rec room, hobby area, playroom - you get to decide how to use this great spot that is finished and ready to meet your needs. 202 Aspen Pt. is located very near Madison Count... 01/21/2014

207 Yvonne Dr Collinsville, IL 62234 Secluded Home on Ideal Lot Home   Virtual Tour   Photo Gallery   Property Map   Financing   Request Showing   Contact Me   Douglas Cook Mobile: 618-409-4111: Website: Visit Website Price : $129,000.00 Bedrooms : 3 Bathrooms : 2.0 Square Foot : 1,612 Lot Size : 100 X 150 County : Madison Property Type : Single Family Year Built : 1976 click for more information and pictures Property Description Close to everything but away from it all! This 3 BR, 2 bath home sits on an ideal lot that backs up to beautiful views of open land. Mature pine trees provide a peaceful setting and line the quiet road leading to the 2-Car heated garage. The back yard is the perfect location to host evening BBQs and provides plenty of room for activities for both young and old... 08/16/2013

Can you believe the first half of 2013 is already behind us? With six months of activity under our collective belts, it's a great time to see how the real estate market is doing. The following information is for homes located in the Edwardsville School District.  Year to date through the end June 2013, new listings are up 12.61 percent (625 vs. 555) and sold listings for the same time period are up 36.69 percent from 248 to 339.  The average sale price is very stable, down just 1.3 percent from the same period in 2012. The same goes for the list-to-sell ratio, which measures the sales price compared to the final listing price, holding at 95 percent year over year.  Another positive indicator is the average number of days on the market, which dropped by 3.5 percent to 148 in the first si... 07/07/2013

There's exciting news for Edwardsville, IL home buyers and sellers. The nationally known Homes For Heroes program is now available in the Edwardsville area.  As the Homes for Heroes Realtor in the region, I offer real and substantial savings on home purchases and home sales to community Heroes in the following categories: Teachers/Educators Medical Professionals Active Duty Military Veterans Firefighters Law Enforcement Officers EMTs First Responders Homes for Heroes couldn't be easier for Edwardsville area home buyers and sellers. I can add you to the program - or you can go online to HomesForHeroes.com and sign up. That's it. No difficult forms. No red tape. No hassles.  At closing, Heroes will receive a 25 percent rebate on my commission toward the bottom line on their side of the tr... 06/03/2013

People often ask me about the commute from Edwardsville, IL to their jobs in downtown St. Louis or St. Louis County. Is it easy to get to St. Louis? Will I save time living in Edwardsville as opposed to moving to far western suburbs?   I can see the beautiful downtown skyline from Edwardsville, I tell them. Yes, you will save time on your commute. And -- bonus -- you'll enjoy all the benefits of friendly, small town living in Edwardsville, with a major city within easy reach when you want to take advantage of everything it offers. Commute time? About 25 minutes. We are part of the St. Louis metro area, so look to the east for housing opportunities. Edwardsville is home to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville and is a lively, sophisticated community with a long history. We're loc... 05/24/2013

Glen Carbon, IL: Homes for Heroes is Here (edit/delete) Real Savings for Teachers, First Responders, Military and Veterans Today This Memorial Day Weekend presents the perfect opportunity to announce that the Homes for Heroes real estate savings program has come to Glen Carbon, Illinois. Service deserves its rewards. That's why Homes for Heroes gives back to men and women who serve our country and our local community.   So, if you're a teacher, medical professional, active duty member of the military, veteran, firefighter, EMT, law enforcement officer or other first responder ready to buy or sell a house, this innovative program is for you. If you're in doubt about whether you're qualified for Homes for Heroes, just ask me.  As the area's Homes for Heroes Realtor affiliate, I get to sa... 05/23/2013

Edwardsville, IL:  Homes for Heroes is Here.  Real Savings for Teachers, First Responders, Military and Veterans Today This Memorial Day Weekend presents the perfect opportunity to announce that the Homes for Heroes real estate savings program has come to Edwardsville, Illinois. Service deserves its rewards. That's why Homes for Heroes gives back to men and women who serve our country and our local community.   So, if you're a teacher, medical professional, active duty member of the military, veteran, firefighter, EMT, law enforcement officer or other first responder ready to buy or sell a house, this innovative program is for you. If you're in doubt about whether you're qualified for Homes for Heroes, just ask me.  As the area's Homes for Heroes Realtor affiliate, I get to say "Thank Y... 05/23/2013

05/08/2013

Relocating to Edwardsville, IL? I had the great pleasure of helping Pam and Patrick move to Edwardsville this spring.  They were kind enough to send me the following recommendation, which made my day, month and year! RELOCATING TO EDWARDSVILLE? Nancy is probably the most assessible, patient, and personable agent we have ever worked with - AND she's a smart cookie! It doesn't get much better than that when you need an agent to look out for your best interests (whether buying or selling). This gal knows her stuff!!!!!!! We bought a house through Nancy...probably looked at 50 houses in the process...and she stuck with us patiently through the whole process - she made sure certain things were in the contract that in our best interest and made the whole process easy - this is REALLY importan... 04/04/2013

It must be Fall. Time for Prudential One Realty Centre's Open House Extravaganza in Southwestern Illinois on November 4, 2012 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM. Attend and checkout our listings, and enter for a chance to win one of several door prizes from our local business. Come visit 501 Wadsworth Street, Collinsville, Illinois 62234 - Open Sunday, November 4th from 2:00 - 4:00 PM. A move-in condition Collinsville, Illinois Home for Sale. 11/03/2012

Search Edwardsville Real Estate & Homes for Sale Just Like an Agent  I've added a great new tool to my websites and blogs -- and the best part is I get to share it with my buyers and sellers for FREE. It's called ListingBook and it's a very powerful search engine that lets you get real time information from the MLS that covers my territory here in St. Louis' Illinois suburbs and the cities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Troy, Maryville, Collinsville, Granite City, et. al. So, if you're thinking about buying a home -- or selling your home in the near future -- just sign up for a free ListingBook account.   When you use ListingBook, you can control everything about your search -- location, price range, number of bedrooms and so much more -- and you will always have real-time information, p... 10/25/2012

Vote Early, Vote Often in Madison County, IL. I know, make your own joke. This IS the state of Illinois. But seriously, folks. Madison County is opening early voting for the primary and you can take advantage of the convenient system from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3. After all, you don't want a scheduling conflict on election day to keep you from your civic duty, right? (And for those of you without a sense of humor, yes, I understand you can only vote once. Thanks.) Early voting is available at the following locations: Edwardsville: The County Administration Building, 157 N. Main St. Glen Carbon: Village Hall, 151 N. Main St. SIUE: In the MUC -- Morris University Center Maryville: Village Hall, 2520 N. Center St. Collinsville: Collinsville Senior Citizen Center, 420 E. Main St. Troy: City ... 10/20/2012

Nancy, can I decorate for Halloween while my home is for sale? That's recent question from one of my Edwardsville, IL sellers.  My answer?  It depends on what you mean by "decorate." If your idea of seasonal decor is this... ...then I am going to have to say, "NO!"  You are seriously compromising the curb appeal of your very nice house.  And while I share your enthusiasm for Halloween, let's tone it down just this year. But, if your idea of decorating for the fall holidays is more like this... ...then go right ahead. Pumpkins, gourds, fall planters, a welcome sign and a whimsical scarecrow make your home feel warm and homey -- just what a buyer might be looking for in a new place. This decor says you have a sense of humor, you enjoy your home and it tells a buyer that they could live a ... 10/19/2012

Real Estate Market Update for Edwardsville IL The numbers are in for September 2012, so here's a quick look at how things are going in the local housing market in Edwardsville. The current average price for sold homes is $250,397. That's a 23.7 percent increase over September 2011. Good news -- prices are on the rise. Twenty-nine houses sold in Edwardsville during September 2012, up 26 percent from September 2011. So, more houses are selling than at this time last year. An important measure of the health of the housing market, is pending sales -- those homes under contract, but not yet sold. Pending sales in Edwardsville in September 2012 were at 21, up 23.5 percent over the same period in 2011. So, more homes are going under contract. In September 2012, just 253 homes were actively lis... 10/17/2012

Homes for Sale in Edwardsville's Ebbets Field Neighborhood. With street names like Koufax, Piazza, Hershiser and Drysdale, this is clearly a subdivision with a passion for America's pastime -- baseball. Whether you're a ball fan or not, you will fall in love with the luxury homes in this conveniently located subdivision off Goshen Road in Edwardsville, IL. Click this link to see all of the homes currently for sale in Ebbets Field in Edwardsville, IL. If you'd like to see homes for sale in Ebbets Field in person, call me at 618-791-8007 or send an email to Nancy@GoshenRealtyGroup.com. 09/21/2012

Illinois home sales in the second quarter of 2012 were up 23.7 percent over 2011.  That's the latest in a 14-month string of sales increases in the state.  Can you say, "Housing downturn is over?"  I can.  I've been busier since last September than any time since before the recession, and both buyer and seller activity keeps increasing in my primary communities of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Collinsville and Troy. In Madison County as a whole, growth is slower than the statewide figures, which are driven by market activity in Chicagoland.  A total of 667 homes were sold in the second quarter of the year (April - June 2012) in Madison County. That's up, but just 1.2 percent over the second quarter in 2011.  The average sales price rose in a more impressive manner, up 7.6 percen... 09/21/2012

EDISON’S IN EDWARDSVILLE: Bowling, Arcade Games and So Much More If you haven’t been to Edison’s yet, you’re missing the hip, new hangout in Edwardsville. Located along IL-157 about a mile from I-270, the 30,000-square-foot Edison’s offers the latest in bowling themes and technology (think nightclub lounge instead of your dad’s old-school league). Dancing lights, contemporary sofas, bar service, music and giant video screens enhance the lanes. In fact, if you’re a little ADHD, this bowling experience is perfect as you can multitask by taking your turn, watching the game, eating/drinking, listening to your favorite tunes and people watching.  And don’t worry about scoring — the electronics do it for you. While kids are drawn to Edison’s for the flashy state-of-the-art arcade games and la... 09/10/2012