In a recent New York Times "WHAT YOU GET" article by Mike Powell, our authentic replica of a 1750 Connecticut farmhouse in Wildwood, Missouri was featured in the $1,000,000 category. The New York Times searches nationwide to find unique properties to profile and we are delighted they elected to feature this distinguished LuxuryCollection residence. The property is listed by James L. Manion and Barbara Wulfing. The article follows:

WHAT: A five-bedroom four-bath saltbox

HOW MUCH: $995,000

SIZE: 3,593 square feet

PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT: $277

SETTING: Wildwood is a city of about 36,000 people 30 minutes by car from downtown St. Louis. This house is on a winding, forested road within a few miles from three state parks and preserves, including one along the Missouri River. The area is hilly, according to the listing agent; lots are zoned for three acres or more.

INDOORS: The two-story house, a reproduction of a 1750s saltbox, was completed in 1981. Period details include reclaimed wood floors, low ceilings with exposed beams, hand planed wall paneling and hand-blown windows. Even the nails we restruck by hand to give the appearance of age.

In addition to formal living and dining rooms, there’s a family room with a pitched ceiling. All three rooms have brick, wood-burning fireplaces. There’s also a library, and a sitting room with doors opening to a stone terrace, one of three on the property. Kitchen appliances and surfaces include a Jenn-Air range, Sub-Zero refrigerator, copper counters and double ceramic sinks.

There are two bedrooms on the first floor, including the master, which has a brick fireplace. The other two bedrooms are upstairs.

OUTDOOR SPACE: The property is a little over nine acres. The front was landscaped so as to attract wildlife, with pathways weaving through tall grass. Behind the house, the property slopes onto a valley.

For more details, a link to the property page is furnished:

http://www.janetmcafee.com/property/-Wildwood-MO-63005/MARIS/12028040/luxury

On February 28^th of this year the Ladue News featured an article on 40 Auburndale Drive.  Below you will find the wonderful article, written by Blaise Hart-Schmidt, and some of the great photos of this home.

ONLY 10 YEARS OLD, THIS SECLUDED AND beautifully landscaped home offers an open floor plan and 6,200 square feet. The fireplace in the 2-story living room provides the picture perfect backdrop for family portraits. The main floor also includes a separate dining room and office with built-in shelves. The beautiful kitchen features a breakfast room and counter, center island and stainless steel appliances, all overlooking a hearth room with a stone fireplace and vaulted ceiling. Retreat to the first floor master suite, with a whirlpool, vanities, large walk-in closet and huge shower with body sprays.  Three additional bedrooms, two bathrooms, a recreation room and bonus room make up the second half of the house.  Guests, in-laws, nannies and teenagers will enjoy the privacy afforded by the attached guest quarters, which includes two bedrooms, a full bath, kitchen, living room and dining area. You’ll love the convenience of the 3-car garage, first floor utilities, full basement and circular drive.

This 6-bedroom, 5-full and 1-half bathroom home in Creve Coeur is listed for $1.299 million.           

For more information on Barbara Wulfing and this listing visit:  http://www.janetmcafee.com/property/40-Auburndale-Drive-Creve-Coeur-MO-63141/MARIS/13033785/

Recently, the Ladue News did a feature on how to boost your homes appeal when placing it on the market.  Janet McAfee Top Performing Agent, Crissy Chartrand offered tips on how to best stage your home.  Here is her advice:

PICTURE PERFECT.  Depersonalize your home of family photos and children’s artwork so buyers can see themselves living there.

CRYSTAL CLEAR. Declutter desks, countertops and floors of excess paperwork, toys and accessories.

BRIGHT LIGHT. Minimize window treatments to let in more natural light.

RIGHT FIT.  Scale furniture to the size of the room: large furniture works for substantial spaces and vice versa.

IN FOCUS.  Simplify your décor by eliminating any large light fixtures or furniture that may distract from the room’s spaciousness and overall   appeal.

For more information on Crissy Chartrand go to http://www.janetmcafee.com/agent/Christine-Chartrand/schchart/

Not long ago the Ladue News did a Real Estate Profile on Janet McAfee.  Below you will find the well-written article by Blaise-Hart Schmidt.

THREE DECADES AGO, JANET MCAFEE REAL ESTATE CONSISTED OF FIVE AGENTS WORKING OUT OF THE founder’s basement. Today, 100 active agents work from a corporate office in Ladue and maintain a significant presence along St. Louis’ central corridor. Janet McAfee Real Estate offers professional representation at its finest, with unequalled market insight, an award-winning digital presence enhanced by a mobile platform, strategic and integrated multi-channel marketing, and an in-depth knowledge about the communities it serves. Janet McAfee agents have experience with single-family homes, condominiums, villas and luxury estates, in areas including the central corridor and select South County and St. Charles communities. Clients trust and appreciate the hard work and dedication of the firm’s agents, leading to more than $3 billion in overall sales. 

According to the  MLS, for the first nine months of 2013 (within 14 select central corridor school districts),  Sells one-third of its listings within the first month.  Sells more than one-half of its listings within the first two months.  Enjoys the highest average sales price and second- Highest sales by volume of the top 10 offices.

For more information about Janet McAfee and our listings visit – www.janetmcafee.com

A 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom home in Ladue’s Clermont Estates subdivision is listed for $839,000.

A short while ago the Ladue News expressed interest in highlighting one of our listings here at Janet McAfee.  Through careful consideration they chose 72 Clermont Lane in Ladue.   Reading the article below will demonstrate as to why Blaise Hart Schmidt, and the Ladue News chose this wonderful property.

GROWING FAMILIES, LOOK no further—the perfect home is ready and waiting.  This charming 2-story home includes five bedrooms and four full baths in its expansive open-floor plan.   A large picture window and fireplace give light and warmth to the family room.  The kitchen, with custom cabinetry, gas stove and dishwasher, opens into a cheery sunroom, perfect for breakfasts with the family before rushing to work and school.  The second floor features two large bedrooms, each with an alcove, a hall bath and an additional room to serve as a cozy office or nursery. Enjoy sunsets on the patio and a covered front porch.   A hot tub, in-ground pool and rock wall with water feature provide relaxation and entertainment for every member of the family.  Other pluses include wood floors, an attached garage, walk-out lower level and a location in the Ladue School District. 

Listed by:

Lisa Coulter – 314.983.2224

Linda Benoist – 314.983.2119

See More information on this home at:

http://www.janetmcafee.com/property/72-Clermont-Lane-Ladue-MO-63124/MARIS/13055446/

Chrissy Chartrand, one of McAfee’s top agents, recently gave her advice on a question posed by Town & Style Magazine.  They asked her, “What do you recommend if someone has to put a house up for sale in the winter months?”

Her response was both honest and encouraging.  She stated, “Fewer listings in winter, means less competition. Buyers are motivated. Keep the temperature warm so buyers are comfortable. A fire in the fireplace can feel very welcoming and be sure you have photos displayed showing what your yard looks like during the spring and summer.”

To learn more about Chrissy and her listings visit -http://www.janetmcafee.com/agent/Christine-Chartrand/schchart/

The Town & Style recently asked the opinion of one of our seasoned agents, Bert Boyce.  Town & Style posed the question below and asked how Bert would respond should she be confronted this question in the home buying/selling process.

 “I'm thinking of turning my living room into part of the kitchen family room - will it hurt re-sale if I don't have a formal living room?”

Bert answered this question stating, “Many buyers aren't interested in a formal living room; however, it also depends on the style, size and current layout of the home.  Consult with a Realtor before making changes.”

For more opinions to questions like this contact Bert Boyce at http://www.janetmcafee.com/agent/Bert-Boyce/sroboyce/

12 Apple Tree Lane was recently featured in the January 29^th issue of Town & Style.  What makes this home special is described by the homeowner and written by staff writer Stephanie Zeilenga.  

by stephanie zeilenga

listing price | $3,350,000

listing agents | lisa coulter and linda benoist of janet mcafee

 This past summer, Katherine Weber bought 12 Apple Tree Lane in Ladue less than an hour after seeing it. Only she didn’t buy it to live in. Rather, she saw the potential to transform it into a clean, chic, West Coast-inspired home.  A native St. Louisan, Weber lives in California, but frequently returns to St. Louis to visit family and to conduct business as a shareholder in two family companies: Royal Banks of Missouri and National Real Estate Management.

Renovating homes has become her hobby, and she now has overseen six renovations, including a 10,000-square-foot, 1896 Archibald MacLeish home in Chicago, where she raised her family. In three short months, Weber turned her vision for the home on Apple Tree Lane into a reality. To achieve a “cool, updated energy,” Weber stripped the 8,971-square-foot home down to its essentials, and enlisted the help of Chuck Schagrin, the original builder. “It had an exorbitant amount of details, too much molding, and the floors were this ’80s yellow,” Weber says.

She replaced red kitchen countertops with slabs of white Denby marble, got rid of the moldings, stained the floors a deep ebony and upgraded the carpet to high-quality wool. “I wanted to undress it, and now the house is clean and cool,” Weber says. The home includes a conservatory, paneled library, a sunroom perfect for grilling, and a master bedroom suite with a fireplace and a walk-in closet that Weber outfitted with a funky leopard-print carpet. But of all the home’s features, the kitchen’s glass atrium is what clinched the deal for Weber. “When I saw the home had a glass atrium, I had to have it,” she says.

The 1.8-acre property in a prime real estate area was another selling point. “It has a really beautiful yard in the back, with very formal boxwood hedges, and a garden with peonies and lots of roses,” she says. The grounds also feature a pool, with fountains and a rolling water feature. “It’s relaxing and soothing, and makes you feel like you’re in a river or at the beach,” Weber adds. The home’s location, size and move-in ready condition now make it ideal, says Weber. “This home is for someone who wants to be in the heart of Ladue, and who isn’t afraid to break out of a traditional, preppy look,” she says. “Someone is going to have a touch of California in St. Louis.”

For more information on this home visit http://www.janetmcafee.com/property/12-Apple-Tree-Lane-Ladue-MO-63124/MARIS/13059876/~a/SLBENOI/

Recently, Blaise Hart-Schmidt of the Ladue News wrote up a wonderful feature article on a very special home, 2 Midpark Lane in Ladue.  Below learn more about what makes this home unique.  

2 Midpark Lane - 3-bedroom, 2-full and 1-half bath home in the Ladue School District is listed for $749,000.

A CUSTOM WALNUT FRONT door greets visitors as they enter this home’s warm and bright open floor plan. Knotty pine-beamed ceilings throughout the first floor, as well as 4-inch plank wood floors and a stacked-stone wood-burning fireplace in the hearth room create a cozy atmosphere.

Stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a center island and walk-in pantry with window make the custom kitchen an amateur chef’s dream. The master suite features a walkin closet, thermal jet tub and oversized shower for ultimate relaxation. Two more bedrooms also have walk-in closets and share a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. The lower level boasts 9-foot ceilings and approximately 900 square-feet of additional living space. Great for entertaining, both the first floor and patio are wired for sound. An oversized, 2-car garage, special millwork, home office and in-ground sprinkler system are just a few of the extras in this cozy home.

For more information or to see this home in person contact: Christy Thompson at 314-974-6140.  www.janetmcafee.com/christythompson

When Ladue News Magazine was looking to profile a Ladue Agent with a proven track record they looked to Gai Lowell of Janet Mcafee Real Estate. 

This feature article was written by Staff Writer Katherine Comfort-Mason.

For Janet McAfee Real Estate agent Gai Lowell, real estate isn’t just a job. It’s also a passion.  With a background as a certified public accountant, Lowell worked for Citicorp Mortgage before starting at Janet McAfee more than 20 years ago. Soon after, she teamed up with Marianne Galt, and the pair has been partners since. Working with a partner, growing up in St. Louis and having a background in finance all give her a boost in the industry, Lowell says. She’s also detail-oriented and persistent, two traits that have placed her in the top 10 Janet McAfee agents for more than 10 years. “I’m much happier finding the right fit for the client, no matter how long it takes, as opposed to meeting a sales goal,” she says. Lowell values the diversity of her clients, as it allows her the opportunity to take on challenges and do something new and different every day. Lowell’s clients also value her. One of her current listings, seen below, is a house she sold shortly after joining Janet McAfee. The owners are again trusting Lowell’s talent and passion, 20 years later.

For more information on Gai Lowell visit her webpage at http://www.janetmcafee.com/agent/Gai-Lowell/SGLOWEL/