Tracy Ellis Magazine - Issue 14

FEATURING:

A Look Back & Ahead with St. Louis Meteorologist

Dave Murray

Rick & Tracy Ellis, Realtors®

Your Real Estate Radio Experts!

Welcome Jamie Allman to The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team

A

s a political commentator and a household name in St. Louis, MO, Jamie Allman has come a long way from his days on his high school newspaper. Back then, he dreamt of writing the middle column for The Wall Street Journal. Luckily for Allman, serendipity stepped in. Rather than landing an internship with the newspaper and pursuing a career in journalism, Allman found himself working for Wisconsin Public Radio—his first step in his long and successful career in media.

Now celebrating his 30th year as a television and radio broadcast personality in the St. Louis area, Jamie Allman has a lot to be thankful for. He’s racked up a total of fifteen Regional Emmy Awards, cultivated a dedicated audience of regular listeners, served the people of the St. Louis community for decades, and now he has a new project that’s shaping up to be a real success.

His most recent venture – Radio Free Allman – is a brand-new approach to publishing and consuming “radio.” Rather than turning a dial to tune-in to Allman’s conservative talk radio show at a set time, listeners can simply download an app or stream the show right from Facebook.

This erases the boundaries imposed by traditional radio. Radio Free Allman gives listeners the opportunity to watch while they listen, adding another layer to the production that has the potential to help fans further engage with the show. Since watching on Facebook is an option, the community aspect of radio is enriched by allowing listeners to comment and interact with one another, including with Allman himself. Plus, all of the episodes are provided as podcasts through the app, which means avid fans never have to miss a beat.

Though the medium for tuning in has changed, Radio Free Allman presents the same show regular listeners have come to love and expect from Allman—fresh, free, and conservative.

The inherent nature of political commentary in the media can produce an environment that’s often thick with frustration and hostility, but for Jamie, sharing his opinion is just as important as hearing the views from all sides of an argument. No matter what the circumstance, you won’t catch Allman putting a common or concrete label on anything he does.

“It’s never been ‘Republican Radio,’” said Allman. I like to think of it more as ‘Common Sense Radio.’”

And it’s that kind of attitude that’s kept listeners coming back for more. With his “live-and-let-live” and “Don’t Fence Me In” style, Allman has a way of really relating to his listeners, creating an atmosphere that’s familiar and inviting—but it’s not all about entertainment.

“When used to its fullest potential, radio is a relationship between host and listener. It’s a family where everyone has something to add and people don’t always agree, but everyone understands it’s a work in progress,” said Allman.

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Born and raised in Missouri, Allman truly believes in the importance of keeping the community informed about local news and politics.

By weaving this element into his show, Allman has cultivated a program that’s meant to educate listeners while keeping them entertained and providing that much needed escape from the noise of the day-to-day.

“When I can empower, inform, and entertain my listeners—that’s what I call a successful broadcast,” said Allman.

Broadcast media has been his passion and life’s work for the last thirty years, and with Radio Free Allman, he hopes to continue this mission and extend his listenership even further.

With this new platform also comes the opportunity to delve a little deeper into something he’s always been fascinated by—real estate. The very same intimacy and sense of community that draws Allman to radio is also what attracts him to real estate. Through Radio Free Allman, Jamie will be partnering with The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team to connect homebuyers and sellers with the real estate team.

Jamie Allman and The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team share a dedication to their clients and advertisers that’s not always easy to find in their fields. By working together, Allman and the Ellis Team will be able to strengthen the relationship and family-feel between Allman and his listeners by doing more than ever before to make sure homebuyers and sellers reach the goal of owning their dream homes. As a father of five and husband to his wife Andrea, it’s no wonder that the idea of helping a family to find the perfect home appeals to him.

“I’m so excited to work with Rick and Tracy,” said Allman. “They have huge hearts for their clients, and they work so hard in everything they do.”

Currently, Allman is in process of earning his Real Estate License and learning everything he can about the industry. Who knows, maybe you’ll see Jamie Allman as a Realtor with The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team.

Until then, he’ll be focusing on internal sales and marketing. Look for Allman to be promoting The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team on Radio Free Allman in the weeks and months ahead. If you know anything about Jamie, you know it will be hard to miss!

If you’re a business looking to support Radio Free Allman through advertising, please contact him at radiofreeallman@gmail.com or 314-309-0704.

You can listen on Facebook or by downloading the Radio Free Allman app on your iPhone or Android device.

Monday-Friday 6am - 9am

FEATURE ARTICLE

CONTENTS 2 4 10 18 46

Welcome Jamie Allman Editorial 2018 Current Listings Commercial Properties Lake of the Ozarks

22

Features 6 410 Holden Rd

22 A Fond Farewell to One of St. Louis’ Most Legendary Weather Personalities

24 Our Family Garden 26 Making it Easier to Raise Healthy Children 30 15400 Timpaige Drive 32 1124 Kiefer Ridge Ct 34 Behind the Scenes with Meghan King Edmonds

38 Cheap and Easy Activities to Keep Your Toddler Busy Anywhere, Anytime

42 Boots, Radio, and Real Estate 52 Living the Lakefront Lifestyle 54 The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show Joins News/Talk KRMS

32

34

Buying & Selling 5 KW News with Rick & Tracy Ellis 8 Tips & Tricks for First-Time Home Sellers 20 What Should Buyers Look For When Buying A Home?

40 Marketing Approach 56 Is Your Roof Leaking?

57 Q&A with Rick and Tracy

Editor in Chief: Tracy and Rick Ellis Art Direction: Tracy and Rick Ellis Head Copywriter: Tracy Ellis, Katie Schlimpert Design: Laura Merchant, lauramerchantdesign.com Photographers: Karl Lund and Aaron Kranz TracyEllis.com Tracy@TracyEllis.com C: 636.299.3702 O: 636.534.8287

TracyEllisTeam

On the cover: Photography by Karl Lund

FEATURING:

Then & Now With St. Louis Meteorologist

Dave Murray

Rick & Tracy Ellis, Realtors®

Your Real Estate Radio Experts!

RickandTracyEllisTeam Tracyellisrealtor

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 3

Editorial

Tracy Ellis

is giving you the edge you need in Real Estate!

Everyone Enters Our Life for a Reason t’s been said that people enter your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Whatever it may be for you, take the time to discover the reason certain people are in your life today, and why they may not be a part of your life anymore.

Were they a blessing or a lesson?

Although you may not notice it at the time, once that person comes into your life, or even when someone moves out of your life, you begin to realize, you begin to see why they entered your life in the first place. You may sometimes develop relationships with those who can influence you in some way and help you to see a change with your current situation or present you with a different direction you should take.

Perhaps they were just sent to help you move through a difficult time, or maybe they were brought to you to teach a lesson, which has happened to me a lot this year.

Rick & I have tried many new things in business lately, but we quickly realized that the path we were taking was the wrong direction.

This brings me back to people coming into our life for a reason. This spring, our team was happy to help the owner of 590 The Fan with purchasing a new home. We had met Randy at other properties in the past, but hadn’t had in-depth business conversations since we were focused more on real estate.

After the purchase, we decided to have a meeting to discuss marketing, and business in general, since Randy recently became an owner of Four Seasons Realty at Lake of the Ozarks. That was the first two-hour meeting I’ve had in my career where I felt like I was talking to someone who understood marketing and who enjoyed it as much as I do.

Most of you may not know this, but Randy is also the former owner of the well-known Chucks Boots. If you’re from St. Louis, you probably know the Chuck’s Boots jingle or have seen the billboards all over the St. Louis area, and more than likely, you’ve made a trip to one of the massive stores.

Rick and I were so impressed with Randy after our first meeting, and after many in-depth conversations, we were honored to become partners with Randy and the co-owner at Four Seasons Realty Anette Fox. Together, we have big plans for The Lake of the Ozarks and St. Louis!

As many of you know, Rick and I have been hosting multiple real estate radio shows on FM NewsTalk 97.1 for the last five years. We will be hosting two additional shows on 590 The Fan starting July 21st and 22nd. You can tune-in to The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show on either station every Saturday at 9 am or Sunday at 10 am. As some of you may know,

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we also host a weekly radio show at Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday mornings at 11 am on KRMS. We couldn’t be more excited about our new partnership with Four Seasons Realty, and you’ll now find a new section in the magazine dedicated to Four Seasons Realty each issue. In addition, we’ll be increasing the publication and distribution of the Tracy Ellis Magazine. You can find our magazine throughout Missouri, Illinois, Lake of the Ozarks, and soon we’ll be adding distribution in Kansas City.

As if all of this wasn’t exciting enough, during a recent business meeting, Jamie Allman decided to get his real estate license and join The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team. Most of you have either heard of Jamie Allman or are fans like we are, and we encourage all Jamie Allman fans to check out his new venture—Radio Free Allman, which you can read more about in this issue. Jamie has been a friend of ours for several years, and we’re looking forward to working with him in real estate.

In addition to everything going on with our business, Rick and I have four sons, and our two youngest are in high school this year. We’re soaking up every moment we can with them and enjoyed a wonderful beach vacation with our family this summer with my mom and Rick’s sister. It will be an exciting year for the boys. Drake will play freshmen football and The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team are proud to be the team sponsor. Zack loves art, reading, and writing. I’m so happy he is involved in the Newspaper Club and Yearbook Club this year. If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably seen me post some of the beautiful things Zack has built in woodshop. We think he’s quite the talented young man!

We’re always encouraging them to really start thinking about the career path they want to take, especially because none of our kids have ever wanted to go into real estate. They tell us often, we have no life, and they often get very frustrated with us because we’re constantly taking phone calls, but we also love our work. We were pleased recently when Drake told us he thought he’d go into real estate and be an agent on our team. We shall see if he feels the same after graduation, but for now, I’m just soaking up every minute with my boys and have very much enjoyed watching my youngest sons grow into fine young men.

Thank you again for allowing us to come into your homes through radio, print, and by trusting us with your largest investment. We appreciate each and every one of you and hope that if you’re thinking of buying or selling, you’ll visit www.tracyellis.com or call me direct at 636.299.3702.

KW News with Rick & Tracy Ellis

“W

hen Gary Keller puts his mind on developing something, what happens? IT HAPPENS.” Bobby Moats, Director of Agent Labs, Keller Williams Realty, Inc. Keller Williams Realty Chesterfield was honored to be among those invited to the first Top Agent Tech Lab in Kansas City in July, hosted by Bobby Moats and Daniel Morris. This lab was rolled out to the Greater Heartland Region, boasting technology advances being created for and by KW agents. On a trajectory of becoming the #1 Technology company within real estate, Bobby and Daniel broke down components (both current and in development), noting the need for early adoption by both leadership and top agents in order to avoid disruption.

Heavily concentrating on technology specifics, the following were among those highlighted during the event: Business Referral Network - Now with a Broadcast Referral Button, agents will be able to set up filters and criteria as they begin the process of sending out referrals, allowing agents to apply, set up parameters regarding productivity and volume standards for those wishing to apply, anonymity, and immediate notifications when receiving information.

KW Command - This will be the center of all market center data and will eventually become the CRM for agents, built with a task management dashboard for ease and simplified communication. Features such as contract identification and auto populated tasks such as, contacts, smart plans, 8x8s, & 33 touches, design templates for marketing, leaderboards, lead accelerator tool, talent pipelines with sharing capabilities, widgets, and more, will be available and customizable to the needs of the team/market center.

“We are building an underlying, smart/intelligent cloud, with technology indigenous to Keller Williams.” - Daniel Morris, Director of Product Management.

The time is now to adopt, to explore the already available technology options. These groundbreaking, intuitive, developments are the biggest competitive edge that has ever happened in the real estate industry. What other company is intentionally disrupting the industry with these advances, gaining deep insights for their clients? Keller Williams is racing towards the front lines with this goal in mind: creating agents empowered by technology and the #1 consumer experience as a result.

“The industry is not going to change because of anyone on the outside. It’s going to be us. (KW)” — Bobby Moats Contributors: Marc King, Team Leader, KWRC Heidi Kelley, Director of Agent Services, KWRC

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 5

410 Holden Rd Defiance, MO 63341 This unique custom home is brick with over 4,500 square feet of living space on 12.85 stunning acres with your own lake! The unique property features a two-story rock wall, vaulted tongue and groove pine ceiling, and walls of windows over looking the private land. You’ll enjoy a rock fireplace and beautiful views in a great room with lots of natural light. All of the rooms in this divided bedroom floorplan have large walk in closets. The master suite also has access to the deck.

Kitchen has granite transformation counters, pantry, custom cabinets, breakfast bar and ceramic tile floors. The breakfast room has a bay window and door leading to the deck or eat in the formal dining room. Perfect for entertaining, the walkout lower level is finished and has a huge room with brick fireplace, an amazing rec room and custom 16 x 9 bar area complete with your own kegerator. Outside is professionally landscaped, the patio goes the length of the home and includes an above ground pool area, and three-car garage with extra parking area! Also included is your own barn and stocked lake ready for plenty of fishing!

$989,900 Contact Rick & Tracy Ellis for info: 636.299.3702 or 636.699.2197 www.TracyEllis.com 6 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

List with The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team!

Display your home on a cover PLUS be featured on FM Newstalk 97.1, 590 The Fan, and KRMS 97.5 FM & 103.3 FM. Tracy@TracyEllis.com, Rick@TracyEllis.com or call 636.299.3702 for more information

BUYING & SELLING

Tips & Tricks for First-Time Home Sellers

W

hen you make the decision to put your home on the market for the first time, there is often a period of confusion. Most first-time home sellers have no idea where or how to start the home selling process, which is understandable. After all, it’s your first time selling a home!

It’s very important that first-time home sellers understand what the home sale process entails, what costs are associated with selling a home, and many other very important aspects of the home selling process such as getting your home ready for market.

Before you sell your home for the first time, make sure you check out some of the most important seller tips and tricks below. By following this advice, you will put yourself in a much better position to sell your first home and will make the home selling process seem rather easy.

1. First impressions are paramount to a quick and successful sale One of the biggest mistakes made by first time home sellers is that they do not know how to or understand how important it is to prepare a home properly for the real estate market. It is essential to make sure your home is show-ready as soon as it’s listed for sale. You get only one chance to make a fabulous first impression. Rick and I always say that most of our clients know if it’s the house for them moments after opening the front door.

We always suggest to all of our sellers to have their own home inspection completed before showings start. In most cases, the buyer will decide to have their own home inspection performed as well.

Today’s homebuyers are scared away from homes relatively easily, and correcting problems that an inspector finds before listing your home for

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sale can greatly decrease the chance of a deal falling apart over something that could have been prevented with an inspection. You may also be able to repair some of the items yourself and save even more money.

Another excellent way for a first-time home seller to prepare their home for the market is by making home improvements that don’t require a lot of money out of pocket. We like to call that “sweat equity.” You should make sure you do these things prior to your first showing, not while the home is on the market. Below are some low-cost improvements to consider making before selling your home for the first time: SS Freshly painting rooms a neutral color suggested by your agent.

SS Professionally cleaning floors and/or carpeting.

SS Replacing outdated light fixtures.

SS Replacing outdated hardware on cabinetry.

We believe first-time home sellers must understand the importance of making a great first impression on potential home buyers. By not properly preparing a home for sale, a first-time home seller could potentially be costing themselves thousands of dollars and also valuable time in the event their home takes longer to sell. Days on market matter. The longer it takes to sell—the less money you make.

2. Having an experienced agent in your corner can make all the difference Hiring an experienced listing agent to represent you during the sale of your home is critical. Selling a home is not a simple task, so don’t attempt to sell your home by owner. For sale by owners, also known as FSBO’s, have a high failure rate.

In any given real estate market, there can be several hundred to several thousand real estate agents who have the ability to sell a home.

It’s important that first-time home sellers understand that not all real estate agents are created equal. Even real estate agents within the same company are not equal. Some real estate agents are part-time, some are primarily buyers’ agents, some are primarily sellers’ agents, and others may only have had their real estate license for a month or two.

How can a first time home seller ensure they hire the right listing agent? You shouldn’t always assume that the real estate agent who represented them to purchase their home is capable of selling their home.

Every seller should interview several agents and make sure they’re prepared to properly interview qualified agents in the area. There are several things that sellers should expect from their agent when selling their home. Some of the things an experienced listing agent will provide to a seller may not be able to be provided by the buyers’ agent who sold them their current home, such as a comprehensive marketing plan.

3. Understand your local market Real estate markets can vary significantly from one neighborhood to another, and it’s so important for any buyer or seller to understand the local real estate market. Generally speaking, there are three “states” of a real estate market: a sellers’ market, a buyers’ market, and a balanced market. Before you decide to sell your home for the first time, it’s important you ask a real estate professional their analysis relating to the current state of the local market!

4. Have a game plan in place for once you sell your home First time home sellers often neglect to figure out what their next move is after selling their current home. Will you move into an apartment? Will you be buying a new home? Will you be building a new home? It’s smart to have a strong game plan for your next move before your house goes on the market. Work closely with your agent so that you’re prepared should you have a quick closing and need to be ready to act promptly when it’s decision time.

If the game plan is to purchase another home, a first-time home seller needs to determine whether they can get pre-approved for a mortgage without being contingent on the sale of their current home.

It’s extremely important to know if you qualify to purchase your next home so that if you find your dream home, you’re able to act regardless of whether or not your home is under contract. Buying and selling a home simultaneously can be tricky, and it’s important that a game plan

is in place and you’re working closely with your agent to make this a smooth transaction.

5. Don’t make the mistake of incorrectly pricing your home The number one reason a home doesn’t sell in real estate is because the property is incorrectly priced. There are lots of different reasons why home owners incorrectly price their home and it’s important the first time home sellers don’t make those common mistakes.

First time-home sellers often have no clue about how a listing price is determined in real estate. There are many different ways a listing price can be calculated, and it’s important that you understand the various ways. The most common real estate pricing practice is known as a CMA or Comparative Market Analysis. This detailed report is completed by a real estate professional. The CMA can be summarized as a review of local active homes for sale, past home sales, pending, and also past-expired listings. An experienced real estate agent should be able to determine a probable sale price of a home by completing a detailed market analysis.

It’s critical that first-time home sellers avoid some of the inaccurate ways to price a home, such as using the homes assessed value in the county records or my favorite (insert sarcasm), Zillow’s Zestimates! There is no possible way an online website based out of San Diego, California, can accurately determine the price of a home in St. Louis, Missouri.

6. Be aware of sellers’ expenses before you get to the closing table First-time home sellers are often shocked when they learn about the sellers’ expenses they are usually responsible for. One of the hardest pills to swallow for a first-time home seller is the real estate brokerage fees.

First and foremost, real estate commissions are usually negotiable, and new sellers often forget that the previous owner of their current home paid the real estate brokerage fees when they purchased their house.

Other home selling expenses that first-time home sellers need to consider include their own closing cost, which is minimal compared to the closing cost when buying a home. You’ll also be required to pay your portion of the real estate taxes, which are pro-rated to day of closing, along with any outstanding homeowner’s association dues. Of course, there is always a possibility the buyer could ask the seller to contribute towards the buyer’s closing cost expenses as well, and last but not least, your title company will order your pay-off to your mortgage company for any outstanding loans and will also be able to find any outstanding liens. Your agent and title company will walk you through this process, and you’ll receive a detailed settlement statement prior to closing to review all figures before arriving to the closing table.

With so much to keep in mind, selling a home for the first time can be stressful and exhausting. Luckily, a first-time home seller who has an experienced agent in their corner will have a much greater chance of a smooth and successful transaction.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling your home, please visit www.tracyellis.com or call me direct at 636.299.3702.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 9

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To Be Built LOT 12 Radnor Rd Huntleigh $3,200,000

15400 Timpaige Dr. Chesterfield, MO 63017 $2,495,000

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1115 Scenic Ridge Dr Eureka, MO 63025 $1,399,900

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4129 Highway D Defiance, MO 63341 $845,000

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7 Timber Creek St. Louis, MO 63127 $1,075,000

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829 Tall Cedar Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $845,000

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1103 Highland Pointe Dr St Louis, MO 63131 $2,225,000

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1302 Wildhorse Meadows Chesterfield, MO 63005 $1,090,000

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11045 Koch Rd Bloomsdale, MO 63627 $699,900

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1126 Wings Rd St. Albans, MO 63073 $1,849,000

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410 Holden Rd Defiance, MO 63341 $989,900

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102 Stone Ridge Meadows O’Fallon, MO 63366 $650,000

Tracy Ellis

Rick Ellis

636.299.3702

636.699.2197

FEATURE ARTICLE

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL YOUR HOME? CONTACT US!

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1519 Misty Valley Ct Wildwood, MO 63038 $590,000

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2345 Denmark Union, MO 63084 $549,900

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657 Fairfield Valley Rd Pacific, MO 63069 $499,000

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1934 Chesterfield Ridge Cir Chesterfield, MO 63017 $565,000

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3730 Rock Creek Valley, High Ridge, MO 63049 $525,000

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3 Hobie Cat Ct Defiance, MO 63341 $486,000

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1124 Kiefer Ridge Ct Ballwin, MO 63021 $570,000

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944 Kiefer Ridge Dr Ballwin, MO 63021 $525,000

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14311 Valley Meadow Ct Chesterfield, MO 63017 $428,435

Vince Cafazza

Allyson Lewis

Pat Dafron

314.369.8554

314.504.5859

314.704.5672

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2639 Summit View Dr Barnhart, MO 63012 $575,000

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104 Pine Pointe Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $522,000

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792 Thunder Hill Dr O’Fallon, MO 63368 $430,000

Jamie Allman Inside Sales 314.309.0704

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6512 Franks Rd House Springs, MO 63051 $429,900

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423 Jumper Hill Ct Chesterfield, MO 63017 $370,000

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890 Sugar Hill Dr Ballwin, MO 63021 $345,000

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1026 Brook Mont Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $419,900

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825 Stonewood Bend Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $389,900

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545 Autumn Bluff Dr Ellisville, MO 63021 $396,000

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604 Judges Way Troy, MO 63379 $360,000

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5574 Butler Hill Rd St Louis, MO 63128 $390,000

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9 Twin creek Ct Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 $362,500

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1105 Water View Lane O’Fallon, MO 63366 $325,000

20 Timber Trace Ct Wentzville, MO 63385 $307,000

2 Ardennais Rd St Peters, MO 63376 $305,000

Tracy Ellis

Rick Ellis

636.299.3702

636.699.2197

FEATURE ARTICLE

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL YOUR HOME? CONTACT US!

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837 Waterford Villas Dr Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $282,900

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1916 Teresa Fields Lane Lake St Louis, MO 63367 $264,500

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1939 Lunenburg Dr St Peters, MO 63376 $246,000

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1428 Kearney Dr Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 $281,000

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17020 Cambury Lane Wildwood, MO 63040 $264,900

1949 Hedge Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $265,000

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4256 Norfolk Ave St Louis, MO 63110 $235,000

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2759 Providence Ridge Dr Wentzville, MO 63385 $261,725

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855 Pund Rd O’Fallon, MO 63366 $243,000

Vince Cafazza

Allyson Lewis

Pat Dafron

314.369.8554

314.504.5859

314.704.5672

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4755 Fox Mountain Rd Wildwood, MO 63069 $268,000

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410 Westglen Village Dr Ballwin, MO 63021 $249,900

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2995 Imperial Dr St Peters, MO 63303 $229,000

Jamie Allman Inside Sales 314.309.0704 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 13

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1829 Packard Ct Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 $229,900

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7122 South Rock Hill Rd St Louis, MO 63123 $185,000

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300 Santa Cruz Moscow Mills, MO 63362 $173,000

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1834 Packard Ct Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368 $220,000

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10 Oakridge West Dr St Peters, MO 63376 $213,500

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100 Heron Ct St Peters, MO 63376 $209,900

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322 South 6th St St Charles, MO 63301 $173,500

141 Jefferson Ave Valley Park, MO 63088 $173,000

4555 Clearbrook St Charles, MO 63303 $173,000

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1441 Brittany Cove Cottleville, MO 63304 $159,000

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14443 Bantry Lane #12 Chesterfield, MO 63017 $155,000

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2118 Pincian Dr Unincorporated, MO 63026 $155,000

Tracy Ellis

Rick Ellis

636.299.3702

636.699.2197

FEATURE ARTICLE

LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL YOUR HOME? CONTACT US!

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2294 Highway TT St Clair, MO 63077 $145,000

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2108 Wismer Ave St Louis, MO 63114 $117,850

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2508 Viola Gill Lane Wildwood, MO 63040 $459,999

3671 Colonia Place Dr #A St Louis, MO 63125 $145,000

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511 Woodview Meadows Wentzville, MO 63385 $115,000

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12824 Ladue Rd St Louis, MO 63141 $775,000

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12 Madison Villa Ridge, MO 63089 $139,900

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9802 Zykan Dr St Louis, MO 63114 $110,000

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717 Hyde Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 $129,900

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1430 Jackson Lane Florissant, MO 63031 $100,000

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2603 E Highway 47 Winfield, MO 63389 $279,000

3954 Potomac St St Louis, MO 63116 $82,900

Jamie Allman

Vince Cafazza

Allyson Lewis

Pat Dafron

314.369.8554

314.504.5859

314.704.5672

Inside Sales 314.309.0704 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 15

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19218 Melrose Rd Glencoe, MO 63038 $104,000

12 Radnor St Louis, 63131 $849,900

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12480 Robyn Rd | 12488 Robyn Rd | 12490 Robyn Rd Sunset Hills, MO 63127 $1,100,000

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Tracy Ellis

Rick Ellis

636.299.3702

636.699.2197

You can now tune into our radio show on even more stations!

TUNE IN TO:

Rick& TracyEllis

The

Show

the Rick & Tracy Ellis Show every

& Rick Saturday at 9 AM and Sunday Tracy Ellis The

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Learn more at www.TracyEllis.com TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 17

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BUYING & SELLING

What Should Buyers Look For When Buying A Home?

T

he home buying process can be an emotional experience from start to finish, and it’s not uncommon for buyers to be overwhelmed with many different stresses and emotions. Rick and I actually see this very often, and it can sometimes lead to missing some important things while touring homes.

There are certain things we suggest buyers should look for when touring the market. Some of the more expensive items such as the ages of the roof, furnace, and hot water heater are just a few of the top things to look for when buying a home, but there are more inconspicuous items you might not think of on your own.

When you’re working with an experienced agent, there are things that catch our attention rather quickly, and we try to bring them to the buyers’ attention. Buyers have to decide if it’s a big concern to them and whether or not it’s something that would need to be addressed prior to closing.

For example, one of the most costly repairs to a home is correcting structural and foundation problems. Obviously, the foundation is the most important part of a home. If you have a home with structural issues, this can be an expensive repair. In our area, we have a lot of clay in our soil, and it isn’t uncommon to see some foundation issues. It’s important to have it repaired by a professional with a transferable warranty, so that when you are selling your home, it will give the buyer peace of mind.

If the home has an unfinished basement, it can be relatively easy to see if there is any cracking in the foundation. Minor cracking may only be a sign of settling in the home, but large cracks can be a sign of

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structural problems with the foundation.

If a home doesn’t have a basement or has a finished basement that doesn’t allow for you to look at the foundation, another way to tell if a home is possibly experiencing structural problems is by looking at the door frames throughout the home. If the door frames seem not to be square, or the doors or windows seem to have difficulty closing, it’s possible there could be some problems with the home’s structure.

If your inspector is concerned about the foundation having structural problems, we suggest hiring a structural engineer to conduct an inspection on the home. There are many home inspectors who can determine whether a home seems to be experiencing some foundation problems. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely they will be 100 percent certain whether there are structural problems or not.

Another item buyers you should be on the lookout for is the presence of certain pest and insects. A severe pest problem could mean larger issues, and you should always have a reputable pest company do a thorough pest inspection. Many pests, especially wood destroying pests such as termites, can cause damage to a home that can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Generally speaking, the cost of a pest inspection is fairly inexpensive compared to correcting damage caused by an unknown insect or pest problem.

Rick and I always discuss on our radio shows that one of the best ways to prepare your home for sale is by freshly painting. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to a room, and it’s fairly inexpensive way to make a room feel clean and fresh. This is one of the biggest

recommendations that we give to home owners prior to listing their home for sale, but if you’re touring a home and notice that a home owner painted one wall or a small area on a ceiling, sometimes this could be to cover up prior damage.

When looking at homes, a room with only one wall or small portion of the ceiling that has been freshly painted should be an area you look at a little closer with your inspector. Why would a seller only paint a small part of the ceiling, or only one wall? It’s possible they were just touching up a high traffic area, but also possible it could be a problem the seller is trying to cover up, which should be a cause for concern.

Some other things to look for are amateur workmanship, especially when it comes to plumbing, carpentry, and electrical work. When looking at homes it is a good idea to keep an eye out for leaky faucets, toilets, missing trim work, and dated electrical panels. If the work wasn’t performed properly, the issues should be discovered during your home inspection as well.

We also suggest to our clients that if you notice a foul odor or even sometimes too much air freshener, this should be something you investigate a little deeper. You may wonder why a pleasant odor could indicate a possible problem, but if a home has a plug in air freshener in every outlet, a candle lit in every room, it’s possible the homeowner is attempting to cover up a foul odor. While this isn’t always the case, it’s always something that buyers need to be aware of when looking at homes. If either of these scenarios were to arise, it’s important to ask your agent to talk to the homeowner’s agent as well and find out more.

It’s important for buyers to remember that when they are purchasing a home, they need to also think of their later resale value. Buyers should look at other homes in the neighborhood as well. Are most of the homes and yards maintained? Choosing the right neighborhood to purchase a home in is not always easy; however, it is extremely important.

Reviewing the seller’s disclosure with your Agent in detail to identify any areas of concern is critical. Pay attention to the age of the home—it’s possible there could be issues with the electrical or other systems. Many older homes still have older electrical panels with fuses, which can cause significant problems.

It’s understood most home buyers and sellers are not professional electricians, however, simple things such as turning on light switches or checking for flickering lights are all good ways to tell if the electrical seems to be working properly. Your home inspector will inspect the electrical panel in detail and test the outlets to ensure the electrical systems are not a safety concern.

The thing most buyers are terrified of is water in a home. In most cases, water problems in a home are directly related to poor drainage or grading. Poor drainage is something that isn’t always detected during inspections. An obvious sign of poor drainage is pooling water, which can lead to water problems inside the home. Other signs of poor drainage can include overflowing gutters, migrating mulch in the flower beds, water stains on basement walls, and cracking in the foundation. Proper grading can make a huge difference when it comes to water problems.

It’s important that the overall grading is sloping away from the homes foundation and that water is running off away from the home’s foundation. A relatively easy and inexpensive way to keep water away from a home’s foundation is by installing gutter downspout extensions.

The bottom line—buying a home is a huge investment, whether

you’re a first time home buyer or an experienced veteran, you should work with someone who will represent your best interests. It’s critical when buying a home that you and your agent are on the look out for these things and so many more, and an experienced agent should be able to help point out many of these potential issues with ease. That is what you’re hiring an agent for, after all!

If you’re looking to work with seasoned agents who know exactly what to look for when touring a prospective home, visit www.tracyellis.com for more information about The Rick & Tracy Ellis team.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 21

FEATURE ARTICLE

A Fond Farewell to One of St. Louis’ Most Legendary Weather Personalities

A

s unpredictable as weather can be in St. Louis, the city has been able to count on Dave Murray of Fox 2 News (KTVI) for the most up-to-date weather coverage no matter how many times the weather decided to change its mind.

Now, after 42 years of exceptional service, Dave has decided to retire from his position as chief meteorologist with KTVI, trading his unbelievably long and demanding work days for some well-deserved down time with his wife, Janis.

Rick and Tracy had the privilege to speak with both Dave and Janis.

Touching on their hectic schedules, what marriage means to them, and of course--the weather, Dave and Janis gave the team a peak into their lives as dedicated weatherman and go-getter journalist.

Their 37-year-long marriage began a few years after Dave joined KSD, now known as KSDK, in 1976 as one of the first on-air meteorologists in the St. Louis Region.

“It took me a while to ask her out—about a year” said Dave, “but I eventually got up the courage to ask her out, and the rest is history.”

“And he’s the king of the cliché,” said Janis, poking fun at her husband with a little quick-witted humor.

For Dave, growing up in Kansas City meant he was able to witness some incredible thunderstorms and a variety of weather, but his interest in the subject didn’t fully come to fruition until his family relocated to Rhode Island.

“I became obsessed with weather at that point, and since then, that’s all I ever wanted to do,” said Dave.

From then on, he focused solely on the pursuit of a career in meteorology and would later attend the University of Rhode Island where he earned a bachelor’s in coastal forecasting.

As Dave was in the midst of developing his full-blown obsession with all things weather, Janis was busy gazing up at the sky on her swing set, enamored with how the cumulus clouds would grow and bubble over across the blue sky.

“We’re both nuts about weather,” said Janis. “[As kids] it’s like we were seeing the same thing from a different angle.”

Janis discovered just who she married as both a scientist and local weatherman when Dave came home one night worried about a storm system that was projected to hit in the middle of the night. It wasn’t long into their marriage, and at the time, television stations went off the air around one in the morning. Without a live station to cover the weather, those living in the path of the storm would have no way of tuning in for live, visual updates and warnings.

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That’s when Dave dreamt up a plan that would eventually become the first 24-hour TV warning-system for severe weather. To keep television viewers in the know, Dave would call in to the station on a specific line, triggering a live broadcast of a color radar map. He would then stay on the line and explain everything the viewers were seeing from his living room—oftentimes in flannel pajamas, according to Janis.

But that’s just a drop in the bucket when it comes to the dedication and passion Dave has shown to reporting on the weather throughout his extraordinary career. After spending a few years in St. Louis, Dave was offered a position as what is considered the pinnacle of his profession--Chief Meteorologist on Good Morning America, an opportunity he simply couldn’t refuse.

“It was an interesting experience,” said Dave, “but it wasn’t much when it came to weather.”

Putting the notoriety of the position aside, national news stations just do not cover the weather as in-depth as local stations, and that’s what eventually drew Dave back to St. Louis.

“He wanted to be [in St. Louis] where all fire and brimstone could break out,” said Janis.

In 1989, Dave left Good Morning America and returned to St. Louis to get back to his bread and butter – reporting the forecast and covering severe weather systems – and it’s where he’s been ever since.

“I wasn’t born here, but I think of St. Louis as my adult-hometown,” said Dave.

One winter when Dave and Janis were in their late-20s, the two decided to join a group of friends from the station on a ski-outing in French Lick, Indiana. Unfortunately, when they made it to French Lick, there wasn’t an inch of snow in sight. Back in St. Louis, however, the inches were mounting at rapid pace.

What was supposed to be a light dusting in St. Louis turned into an all-out blizzard thanks to a little phenomenon known as thunder snow. Within just six hours, an average of 25 inches of snow had fallen over the city, effectively blocking Dave and Janis from returning to St.

Louis to report on the massive weather event that paralyzed the entire city for five days.

Still, that didn’t stop Dave from trying. After failing to reach St. Louis on the highway, he tried the backroads, and when that didn’t work, he tried going around the snow-line entirely. Dave and Janis, who just so happened to be pregnant at the time, ended up stuck in Kentucky at a Holiday Inn for four days.

When they finally made it back to St. Louis, Dave and Janis went straight to the station—and straight to work. The pair ended up spending another three nights in a hotel in downtown St. Louis working around the clock. Needless to say, Dave and Janis desperately needed a good night’s rest in their own bed, but there was one more hurtle standing in their way.

“All I’m thinking [on the way home] is ‘I’ve got 25 inches of heavy, ice-packed snow to deal with,” said Dave. “I pulled around the corner, and the snow was gone.”

It turns out their neighbors had graciously removed the wall of snow from their driveway and sidewalks, leaving behind nothing but a dry, snowless path to their front door.

“It was a huge reflection of the kindness of the people of St. Louis,” said Janis.

That weather event was the Blizzard of ’82. Now, over thirty years later, the pair can’t go anywhere without St. Louisans coming up and asking about the weather, but Janis and Dave remain humble as ever and welcome the support.

“I try to be as nice as I can be,” said Dave. “If people didn’t come up and say hello, it would mean people weren’t watching.”

But for the last 42 years, people have been watching. Even more than watching, people have been counting on Dave’s forecasts to help them choose what to wear, plan their vacations, and stay informed about potentially dangerous, life-threatening weather situations.

From the Blizzard of ‘82 to the Flood of ’93 to his final on-air forecast in September, Dave will have selflessly put the needs of the people of St. Louis first. The entire St. Louis community will be forever grateful for the countless hours Dave has put into ensuring St. Louisans are never out-of-the-loop when it comes to weather.

Of course, Dave won’t be giving up on weather reporting entirely, and who knows, he might even make an appearance on The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show. Until then, Dave and Janis will be taking the time to slow down, relax, and enjoy the simple beauty of a crystal-blue sky.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Our Family Garden

(it’s more then just picking tomatoes) Emilia Rizzuto, Wellness Expert

W

hen I envisioned my future home, I imagined hardwood floors and granite countertops. I imagined a sun-filled yard and space for my kids to be kids. I never pictured a garden. And considering that in the past I’ve struggled to keep a cactus alive, that was probably a good thing.

But then, about a year ago, I stood in a house for the first time with Rick and Tracy, looked out over a backyard, and knew maybe I needed to revisit that picture of a future home. Because that expanse of land I looked out over was perfect for a garden.

The idea was crazy from the start. I knew next to nothing about setting up a garden, or taking care of a garden, or even harvesting a garden. And yet, once I had the idea in my head, I couldn’t ignore it.

First, I called in the experts to help me set up the garden properly. As with most things in life, a strong foundation sets the stage for a lifetime of success.

With the set up complete, I got to work, planting and weeding. I’ve found that the experience is more rewarding than I could have imagined.

There’s the obvious benefit: organic food right in your backyard.

It’s less tempting to reach for that sleeve of Oreos when you have a bowl full of gorgeous, bright red, freshly picked cherry tomatoes sitting in a bowl on your kitchen counter.

But gardening is more than the food. (Though that’s reason enough!)

Every day, to keep the garden neat and the plants alive, I’m forced to go out into the sunshine and weed, water, and reiki. Not only does this simple act keep my husband happy (who would complain if the backyard was overrun by garden weeds) but it also allows me my daily dose of Vitamin D, a crucial nutrient that is hard to come by here in St. Louis. A deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to a number of health

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problems, including autoimmune disease. Luckily, simply watering plants for ten minutes without sunscreen can give your body the extra boost it needs.

While my body is soaking up that extra Vitamin D, I’m also exercising, or at least getting in my daily strength training. Whether I’m dragging a heavy hose through the garden or squatting to pull weeds or stretching to prune baby fruit trees, I am using my muscles in ways that naturally strengthen and tone them.

Not only am I strengthening my muscles, but I’m also fortifying my immune system with every moment I spend with my hands in the dirt. Germs and bacteria live in garden soil. This may sound like a reason not to garden at first, but soil is full of friendly bacteria, like Mycobacterium Vaccae, which are absorbed through inhalation or ingestion. These friendly bacteria have been found to alleviate symptoms of psoriasis, allergies, asthma, and even have been shown to decrease levels of anxiety. The garden is one place to let your kids get dirty, too. Let them get that dirt under their fingernails. Exposure to the microorganisms in soil, especially for young children, could help increase their immunity against diseases later on in life.

Gardening has also become a way to build community in my neighborhood. A few of my neighbors have gardens like mine. We share tips, tricks, and harvests with each other. We live different, busy lives, but in this small way, we have found a way to make a connection with each other. That’s not easy to do in our fast paced, technology-focused world.

Above all, gardening is more than getting out in the sun and dirt. It has become a part of my spiritual practice, a way to remain present in the moment and recognize that every one of us plays a role in our world. That seed I planted, the one that was nothing but a dot in the dirt, is suddenly a plant with twenty peppers dangling off the vine. That pepper plant is absorbing the carbon dioxide I’m breathing out as I squat and weed, and turning that carbon dioxide into the fuel it needs to grow. In exchange, that plant is putting out oxygen that I need to breathe and continue gardening. A symbiotic relationship. A testament to the unbelievable power of Mother Nature, one I might never have realized if I hadn’t stepped into a garden.

As it turns out, I’m glad I didn’t ignore that crazy idea to start a garden. If I had, I would have missed out on all of the unbelievable health benefits for my family and me. Gardening is truly a mind, body, and spirit connection for me. I hope it can be for you, too.

GARDEN INFORMATION: The Garden Guys brianhoff@yahoo.com 314.323.7171

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 25

FEATURE ARTICLE

Making it Easier to Raise Healthy Children

N

othing ever fully prepares you for what parenthood is going to be like. That moment when you drive home from the hospital with your precious cargo in the backseat and your fresh “Baby On Board” window sticker.

You are now FULLY responsibility of another human being. Not to mention a tiny human being who can’t ever tell you what’s wrong with them.

When a child is born, so is the worrying that comes along with keeping that child healthy. Parenting is a huge responsibility, and we’ve made it a priority at Nepute Wellness Center to set parents, grandparents, and guardians up for success when it comes to their child’s health. There is way too much information out there about pediatric health. What to do. What not to do. Should I vaccinate? Should I not vaccinate? These are all questions that go through the minds of parents, and it’s information overload. We’re here to help you cut through the noise and be a safe place to come for all of your children’s health and wellness needs.

What Pediatric Age Group Can Come To Nepute Wellness?

Dr. Nepute has treated and cared for little ones only an hour old, and on up through high school. The age doesn’t matter. We welcome

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all babies, toddlers, kids, and teens because we want to see healthy kids turn into healthy adults.

Is Chiropractic Care Safe For Kids?

100% Yes. This is probably the biggest question we get asked, and we couldn’t be more proud to say how effective this natural care is on children of all ages. From babies with colic to elementary age kids who have ADHD, regular pediatric check-ups and adjustments through our office have set families free in ways they never thought possible. We have a variety of treatments we offer for kids that go way beyond adjustments, but that’s where we usually start as everything goes through the spine and nervous system.

Do Babies & Kids Really Need Chiropractic Care?

Does a newborn and a child have a spine and a nervous system? Then yes, they need chiropractic care. Probably even more so than an adult. A baby goes through so much stress when it’s born, whether it’s turned wrong or stuck in the canal too long, these are all factors that play into a baby being born with stress already on the nervous system. Our pediatric specialists help with that very thing. Plus, over time kids take tumbles down stairs or play sports, and those little bumps and twists and turns can slowly start causing major interference to the nervous system due to what we call a subluxation, or misalignment of the spine.

Our job is to remove the interference and allow the body to naturally do its job.

If you have a child in need of a check up or has a problem that you can’t seem to find the answers to. Bring them to us. We’re all about breaking the barriers of what people think is possible with not only their health but their family’s health, and that includes your kiddos. Give our professional team a call at 636-923-8449 or schedule a time to chat with us online at www.neputewellnesscenter.com Our pediatric experts are nationally recognized and certified as some of the best in the country. Dr. Laura Hanson recently joined the Nepute Wellness team and brings a stellar resume of pediatric neurology to an already amazing kids wellness care program. So, bring us your questions or your worst fears and bottom line, Nepute Wellness will be the peace of mind you never knew you needed.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 27

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FEATURE ARTICLE

34 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

Behind the Scenes with Meghan King Edmonds

T

he Rick & Tracy Ellis Team is excited to announce the addition of Meghan King Edmonds as a regular contributor to the magazine! We’ve had the pleasure of working with Meghan on a number of projects, and we’re overjoyed to be able to share her insights on parenting in style with our readers.

In past issues, Meghan has been featured in multiple articles about her role on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Orange County; her gorgeous home, including her daughter Aspen’s beautiful nursery; and her life with her husband and former player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Jim Edmonds, and their children. Meghan has also been generous enough to join us on our radio show and help out with one of our commercials, and we’re so thankful to be able to welcome her as a contributor.

As a mother, entrepreneur, and celebrity, Meghan has more than most can ever dream of managing on her plate, but she somehow handles it all with grace and style. Thankfully, Meghan’s ready to let us in on her secrets! Each issue, this go-getter mom will dish out her tips and tricks for busy parents while sharing her own personal experiences.

Meghan just gave birth to two beautiful twin boys this past June, so you can bet she’ll have plenty of new experiences to share!

Now, we’re happy to share Meghan’s birth story followed by a few activities Meghan loves to share with her first-born daughter, Aspen.

Welcoming Twins: The Birth of Hayes and Hart “They never go as planned.” Or “Wow…” These are the most common phrases everyone loved to respond with when I said I was planning a natural birth with my twins. I did it with Aspen, so why couldn’t I do it again?

Tuesday, June 5, exactly 37 weeks pregnant: 9:45am Monitoring: Boys look good, twin B is breech still.

He flipped three days ago despite my multiple weekly trips to the

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 35

chiropractor to perform the Webster Technique (a proven technique to often help babies be head down). Very few contractions.

11:50am Doctor appointment: 5cm dilated. Induction discussed.

I feel awful about inducing my babies before they are ready but I can’t argue the facts that stillborn rates rise in twins after 38 weeks pregnant so I have 4 days to have them as we are set to induce for Saturday. We discuss how my doctor will try to perform an external version to flip Baby B after A is born and if it doesn’t work (50/50 chance), I will try to deliver him breech. I realize I can have an emergency C-section if this doesn’t work and for me this means going under general anesthesia because I will not have an epidural placed. My doctor strips my membranes to (hopefully) jump start labor (this didn’t work 5 days prior).

1pm: Contractions becoming regular as I eat a pizza famous in St Louis for “putting women into labor” – I’ll try anything!

2pm: My chiropractor comes by to preform labor acupuncture and also try the Webster Technique again to flip Baby B (he’s flipped every week since week 28).

4:30pm: Contractions have picked up to a labor pattern, but I can tell I’m not in active labor. I have Jimmy take me to the hospital with all my bags packed.

8pm: My doctor comes by, I’m 6cm dilated, she said there’s no leaving the hospital at this point! We discuss her breaking my water.

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9pm: My doctor breaks my water. I could feel it right away as a small gush, I tell her she broke it, she leaves to let me labor.

9:05pm: First massive contraction comes and breaks my water the rest of the way. This is it!

(Side story: My stepson, Landon, called at the same moment to FaceTime my husband and heard my first big contraction. He also told my husband he likes the name Hayes which we had decided against. Jimmy hangs up the phone and tells me Landon wants to name a baby “Hayes” and so Jimmy now wants to as well).

A few minutes later I ask them to start the nitrous oxide aka what I call The Placebo. This doesn’t take away the pain but it helps me focus on deep breathing (it’s supposed to take my mind off the pain of the contraction, yeah that doesn’t work). I have some nice breaks between contractions and my husband is helping me. My sister and mom were also in the room with my midwife. It was dark and calm.

10:00pm: I can tell that I’ve entered the transition point of labor and I will soon need to push. My doctor wants me to deliver Baby A in the OR and then discuss moving back to a regular room. She checks my cervix and I’m at 9cm. I have also agreed to let them place a hep-lock in my arm in case of emergency and so I hold my sister’s hand as it’s placed (she shares my fear of needles). I don’t look at my arm again after this! I watch as everyone puts on their OR gear: masks and gowns. I don’t like watching this, it’s scary and

intimidating. I focus instead on my contractions and breathing and picture what is happening inside my body as I feel each contraction: dilating my cervix, moving my babies closer to the exit. I do not want to let my anxiety of the OR prep slow down my labor. As we enter the OR it’s freezing cold, someone is playing awful music and it’s bright. They turned off the music and put warm blankets on me.

I close my eyes and focus on breathing again as I thank my doctor for letting me stay on the hospital bed with wheels so I can grip the handles (that are non-existent on an OR bed). It’s time to push, I can feel it!

10:48pm: Baby A is born. I pushed him out in about 20 minutes. I felt the ring of fire as his head crowned and it was the most beautiful feeling of painful relief I’ve experienced all labor. I welcome the second ring of fire as I pushed his shoulders out. He is held by a resident as a team of four begins the external version to rotate Baby B head down: one to perform a sonogram, my doctor manipulates the baby, someone else to monitor heart tones, and one to hold the baby in place. I close my eyes and focus on getting a break while I’ve just delivered a healthy baby. It is painful and peaceful at the same time, but I’m not experiencing contractions. The version works!

I hold Baby A and after 5 minutes of crying I cut his cord myself with my husband by my side. I watch as the team works on getting him cleaned up and his oxygen slowly dips, I see it says 80-something on the monitor, I’m not worried. I say he looks like my husband and Aspen, so beautiful and perfect! I say this over and over He’s weighed and I’m so proud to have birthed a 6 lb 15 oz baby, 4 oz bigger than Aspen! My doctor then tells me Baby B’s heart rate is dropping and it’s go time!

11:32pm: Baby B is born. I wasn’t ready to push out another baby, I was borderline dreading it! My body hurt and I was exhausted. My husband was my cheerleader and really helped me get the willpower to power through. I knew I could do it I just didn’t want to. At this point if I needed an emergency C-section I probably would’ve been happy because that meant I could nap! I had enjoyed about 15 minutes free of contractions and I knew I had to go right back into transition and pushing as my cervix had shrunk up to 8cm. But with Baby B’s lowered heart rate it was time to get serious.

She broke his water and I breathed through some intense contractions (again I had nice breaks of about 30 seconds that I embraced, I don’t remember breaks with Aspen) until I felt the urge to push. It’s such a beautiful and empowering feeling knowing that you can tell your doctor when you’re going to push because you know you’re at 10cm, she didn’t even check me. Again, I pushed for about 20 minutes as his heart rate stabilizes into a normal pushing pattern. I’m so tired I can cry but then I feel that simultaneously painful and lovely ring of fire and I know I’m so close. I push until I feel the blood vessels popping in my eyes and then I realize that won’t look good for pictures (I swear I thought this!); I push until there is no air left in my body.

Jimmy helped me SO MUCH during pushing! Baby B emerges with a beautifully shaped skull and his cord wrapped around head AND body! We delay his cord clamping for a full 7 minutes before I cut his as well, covered in tears of joy.

Fast forward: Delivering the placenta was no fun but I did it! I then let my doctor use my hep-lock to administer Pitocin to insure that

I pass the entire placenta. After I had Aspen I hemorrhaged two weeks later due to not passing the entire placenta. I don’t want that to happen again. So after a medicine-free labor I endure terrible contractions from the Pitocin! So ironic! And cruel!

I hold my babies and Baby B latches on my breast right away. A is taking some work.

Overall I had a beautiful labor almost exactly as I envisioned. I am so blessed to have had a natural, vaginal labor. I was incredibly conscious of everything happening to my body, I knew what to expect during each stage, I felt present, awake, and enlightened. It was incredibly painful but I enjoyed my breaks between contractions. I feel so powerful.

We take a couple days to name them. We are between the names Hart, Hayes, Haze, and Lake. Inside of me Baby A was active and I thought Hart was a good name for an active baby and Hayes or Lake would be better for my Baby B, my chill baby. But on the outside, Baby B is active and Baby A is chill! Three days later after much thinking we name Baby A Hayes and Baby B Hart. Both are family names: Hayes (who looks like Jimmy) is Jimmy’s great-grandma’s maiden name, and Hart (who looks like me) is my great-great-great grandpa’s first name. King is a given for their middle names. Our family is now completely complete.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 37

FEATURE ARTICLE

Cheap and Easy Activities to Keep Your Toddler Busy Anywhere, Anytime

By Meghan King Edmonds

H

aving a toddler is no easy task, but it’s even more difficult to find new and exciting activities to keep them occupied for more than five minutes. On top of that, living between the three very different climates of St Louis, northern Idaho, and southern California, I’ve had to adapt activities to each place.

Aspen and I are throwing it back old-school, not only with our matching Calvin Klein’s, but with our best and most basic pastimes.

Some of our favorites are the cheapest, simplest, and most rewarding.

Keep reading to find out more about what Aspen and I love to do no matter where we are.

Letting out our creative side with sidewalk chalk 20 - 30 minutes It’s a great way to bring all the neighborhood kids together or to keep a whiny toddler distracted during the afternoon witching hours.

We also use this time to discuss textures, colors, and shapes. Plus, letting those creative juices flow – even when they can only produce scribbles – is great for their budding imaginations.

Keeping it simple with bubble blowing 30 minutes A little messy, but tons of fun for the littles, blowing bubbles is a simple and fun activity. I haven’t splurged on the bubble machine to make it less messy, but that’s just because I keep telling myself I need to keep it simple for the sake of childhood. When we do bubbles, at least I know that when she spills it all over herself (and then lies down in the puddle she created), it’ll wash right out of her clothes. Plus, it’s adorable to hear her say “BUBBBB-BBBBBOWLLLLLS!” Taking a splash in the baby pool 60 minutes My mom bought me a baby pool from Walmart for $10, and it’s worth a million bucks in our house. Aspen just loves it, and it’s so easy to watch her in a confined space. Throw in some “toys” you find in your baking cabinet (strainers, egg beaters, and measuring cups are big hits), and use your imagination. For Aspen, pouring water out of one cup and into another is especially entertaining.

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Playing house in our make-believe kitchen 20 minutes We got our play-kitchen from a friend--I’m a huge fan of handme-down toys when it comes to kids. It’s important for them to learn to make the best of what they are given, but avoiding entitlement can be tricky. I recommend checking groups on Facebook for other great used items. With our play-kitchen, we have her go “into the kitchen” to make us some of her favorite foods (TOWWWWW-WST, aka toast, is currently on the leaderboard). The imagination goes wild as she learns how to fake eat and fake drink the food she fake makes.

Side note: Am I worried about germs in our play-kitchen? Nope.

Our kids need to build their immune systems and be exposed to the world. Unless I have a sickly child, I’m not worrying about germs.

Working out our wiggles with walks 30 - 45 minutes On our walks she is confined (HALLELUJAH!), and I get some exercise for my mind and body. We talk about the trees we see; we look for birds; we try to find colors; we play hide and seek with the sun canopy on the Bob--anything to keep us both connected and happy.

Coloring away boredom 20 minutes As long as your little ones can keep their crayons confined to the paper, this has potential to reward you with a whopping ten minutes of alone time and ten more minutes of coloring together – er, correction – coloring FOR them.

Taking a trip to the park 60 minutes The park is a tried and true winner every time. There are other kids to watch, slides to try, bugs to see, snack time to take, big kids to copy, knee scrapes to be made, tears to be shed, distractions to be made by mom from the tears--you get the point. The park makes for an outing full of experiences.

Exploring the world through books 30 minutes This doubles as a great time for me to practice my improv acting skills as I work on all my different voices and inflections. I know I’m doing a good job when Aspen looks up at me with a side-eye like, “What the heck just came out of your mouth, Mom?” That’s when I really know I have talent. Plus, my memorizing is truly at its peak with books, such as, “Go, Dog! Go!” My high school speech class would be owned by my new skills.

Whatever you decide to do with your littles, it’s important to make sure the activities cater to the needs of both child and parent. What’s fun for them should be fun for you too!

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 39

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.

✦✦ Announcing 2 NEW radio shows on 590 The Fan every Saturday at 9 am and Sunday at 10 am

✦✦ The Ellis’ listings are showcased on www.tracyellis.com, www.rickandtracyellisteam. com, and 157 additional web sites.

✦✦ The Rick and Tracy Ellis show airs every Saturday at 9 am and Sunday at 10 am on FM NEWS TALK 97.1, 98.7 FM, & 1490 AM in STL and every Saturday at 11 am at Lake of the Ozarks KRMS on 97.5 FM, 103.3 FM, and 1150 AM.

THE ELLIS TEAM MAGAZINE:

✦✦ All of our listings are promoted on all of our weekly radio shows on 7 different stations.

✦✦ 3-D imagery and videography

✦✦ 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

✦✦ Sandy Miller from FOX 2 News joins us every Saturday at 9 am and shares our show on her social media. ✦✦ We have many websites to generate traffic, including our own pages on FM NEWS TALK 97.1.

✦✦ The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team will write a story about your property, not just a paragraph in the MLS.

✦✦ The Ellis Team Post and target ads daily on all social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

✦✦ Your home could be featured on the cover, but will definitely be featured in our magazine

✦✦ Advertising in Ladue News

40 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

✦✦ Monthly advertising in the HOMES Magazine and The Ellis’ are the ONLY Realtors with front page mention in EVERY issue. Over 20,000 publications go out to every store in St. Louis monthly and the Ellis’ always have a full page with 16 homes featured each issue

✦✦ Morning LIVES/ Commercials with Marc Cox and Denys Schaffer from The Marc Cox Show on FM NEWS 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:

ADMINISTRATIVE MARKETING

✦✦ The Ellis Team are members of KW Luxury International, allowing our properties to be showcased internationally and translated into almost 20 languages.

✦✦ 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 are the ONLY Realtors with a banner at the top of the home page on Stltoday.com/homes where you’ll also find all of their listings displayed in Featured Properties with a direct link to www.tracyellis.com and our radio shows. ✦✦ 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. ✦✦ We are proud to partner with Four Seasons Realty at Lake of the Ozarks! Together we plan to do great things, such as the Lake properties will now be featured on all of our radio shows. Four Seasons will also be featured in each quarterly issue of our magazine. ✦✦ Our team is a department lead for the KW Land Division.

This means that all of your properties that qualify (which includes properties with 5+ acres) will go out to over 153 additional websites nationwide, including Lands of America where properties receive thousands of views which turn into buyer leads. ✦✦ The Ellis Team is one of a few Realtors in the St. Louis area that are members of KW Land, Lands of America and Luxury International to give their properties national exposure.

✦✦ The Ellis Team has a full time office manager who currently handles the paperwork on all files, constant contact with all clients and all administrative work. ✦✦ We have a full-time contractto-close coordinator who is a licensed Broker with 30 years experience who will handle the transaction from contract to close, including negotiating building inspections. ✦✦ 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 several 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 Ellis Team has a terrific, professional designer who creates our magazines and team literature. ✦✦ The Ellis Team has a full-time writer on staff for stories in magazine, MLS and social media.

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 7 years and created/published their own real estate magazine for over 4 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 KELLER WILLIAMS DIFFERENCE ✦✦ KW is the #1 franchise in the USA! In 2017 KW made history by being the first real estate company to receive the Triple Crown, #1 in agent count, #1 in closed units and #1 in sales volume. ✦✦ Our office is the #1 real estate office in St. Louis. Currently, KW holds the TOP 4 out of 10 spots in St. Louis. ✦✦ KW is the #1 training company in the world.

Looking to buy? Let us help you find the perfect home!

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

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 41

FEATURE ARTICLE

Boots, Radio, and Real Estate: Randy Markel of Chuck’s Boots Talks Business & Marketing t takes a special kind of person with a real knack for business to take a relatively successful company and turn it into a 13 million dollar enterprise. Randy Markel, former owner of Chuck’s Boots, is just that type of businessman.

His story starts small. Back in the 1980s, Randy worked as a waiter in Dallas. The money was great, the nightlife was a blast--but he knew he had to look elsewhere to find his life’s work, and that’s when Randy left his job waiting tables and hit the road as a traveling cowboy hat representative. Later, he transitioned to selling boots where he met the original “Chuck” of Chuck’s Boots.

Eventually, Randy purchased the Chuck’s Boots store in Fenton, Missouri, at 42 years old. Twenty years later, Chuck’s Boots has expanded five times, and the two store locations are now worth millions. How, you ask? Marketing, marketing, and more marketing.

Randy met the marketing guru that helped make Chuck’s Boots what it is today through Jilly of Jilly’s Cupcakes. Together, they put their heads together and decided to buy up as many fifteen-second radio spots as possible.

“There was a point where you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing about Chuck’s Boots,” said Randy.

But they didn’t stop there. According to Randy, one of the most important aspects of marketing is knowing when to change things up to keep your advertising fresh. Naturally, the next step was to move to

42 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

television, so Randy started purchasing the remnants of television spots after a few years on the radio and after a few more years on television, Randy moved on to billboards.

At first, the billboards showed nothing more than a boot with “Chuck’s Boots” across the sign, but those aren’t the ones most local St. Louisans remember. When you think of Chuck’s Boots, you probably picture the billboards with the Chuck’s Boots girls, right?

Well, the idea for those memorable billboards came to Randy as he was looking over an ad for Miss Me Jeans. Rather than just showing a lady’s backside, Randy had the brilliant idea to put a face to his boots.

By featuring the girls who actually worked for Chuck’s Boots on his billboards, Chuck hit a goldmine.

“People went nuts,” said Randy. “The business took off all over again.”

At the end of the day, Randy says marketing is all about repetition and putting the product in front of the consumer as much as possible.

His number one goal was to make sure people couldn’t go anywhere in the St. Louis area without hearing about or seeing Chuck’s Boots, a mission anyone who’s lived in St. Louis for any appreciable amount of time would have to say he accomplished.

After twenty years of great success, Randy felt it was time to move on from the boot-selling business and use his marketing genius on new and exciting ventures. He sold Chuck’s Boots to one of his

managers, and went on to invest in a number of profitable businesses, which brought Randy and The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team together.

About a year ago, Randy purchased the radio station 590 The Fan and has built its current line-up to where it is today. 590 The Fan features some of the most popular names in St. Louis radio including Larry Conners, Tim Mckernan, Frank O. Pinion, Jim Hayes, and more.

On the weekends, The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show will now be a regular fixture in the weekend line-up sharing their knowledge about all things real estate in St. Louis and the Lake of the Ozarks. “Tracy is a real go-getter, and as soon as I met her, I knew we would hit it off,� said Randy.

With their passion for entrepreneurship and marketing savvy, Rick, Tracy and Randy took a few in-depth business conversations and turned them into a tangible business strategy. Tracy and Rick are now partners with Four Seasons Realty, and their work with Randy is only just beginning. By joining forces, the team hopes to take marketing for the radio station as well as St. Louis & Lake of the Ozarks real estate by storm.

In addition to his real estate and radio projects, Randy is also working on a number of exciting sports facilities in the Lake of the Ozarks and St. Louis. For the first phase of building, Randy is part of an effort to build nine little league ballparks in the Lake of the Ozarks with lacrosse and soccer fields to follow.

Be sure to tune-in to The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show on 590 The Fan every Saturday at 9 am or on Sundays at 10 am. If you want to know more about the station, visit www.590thefan.com and see everything 590 The Fan has to offer in sports and entertainment.

Rick& TracyEllis

The

Show

Saturday at 9 AM TRACY & Sunday at 10 AM ELLIS MAGAZINE

43

Team Gateway To A Cure Dedicated to increased awareness and education to give hope and comfort for those challenged with Parkinson’s. We are committed to raising awareness and funds for The Michael J. Fox Foundation to help become the Gateway To A Cure.

Visit us at teamgatewaytoacure.org to learn more.

Facebook: @TeamGatewaytoaCure | (314) 296-6230

44 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

Opening the doors to your second home!

With flexible terms and competitive rates, our award-winning First State Bank Mortgage team provides the most efficient way to secure financing for your lake home.

Complete our fast and easy pre-approval for access to:

• Conventional and Jumbo Loans • Condominium Loans • VA, FHA, and USDA Loans • Refinancing for lower payments

A Division of First State Bank, NMLS #416668

Apply online: www.yourlakeloan.com Michael Lasson

Senior Loan Officer, NMLS# 493712 O: (573) 746-7211 | C: (573) 216-7258

Michelle Lasson

Senior Loan Officer, NMLS# 934557 O: (573) 746-7212 | C: (573) 216-7248

4655-B Osage Beach Parkway | Osage Beach, MO 65065 teamlasson@fsbfinancial.com

Multi-year recognition as Bagnell Dam Association of REALTORS’ Affiliate of the Year

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

ACTIVE:

67 Trillium Ln Four Seasons, MO 65049 $2,225,000

26528 Bahama Shores Dr Barnett, MO 65011 $849,000

2231 Westshore Dr Osage Beach, MO 65065 $800,000

268 Woodhaven Cir Four Seasons, MO 65049 $799,000

244 Bello Point Dr Porto Cima, MO 65079 $689,900

200 Fawn Meadows Dr Linn Creek, MO 65052 $522,000

95 Pebble Beach Ln Four Seasons, MO 65049 $499,000

115 Pebble Beach Ln #61A Four Seasons, MO 65049 $509,000

37 Island View Dr Eldon, MO 65026 $455,000

68 Lighthouse Rd #803 Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $265,000

272 Grandview Dr Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $339,700

278 Grandview Dr Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $259,900

Four Seasons Realty 46 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

Bagnell Dam Blvd @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.365.8596 FAX 573.365.8597 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

616 Via Appia Dr Porto Cima, MO 65079 $289,900

231 Daisy Rd Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $330,000

92 Waters Edge Dr #7-2A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $125,000

99 Waters Edge Ct 1A #10-1A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $119,000

113 Waters Edge Ct 3A #11-3A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $129,000

386 Waters Edge Drive 3A #3A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $164,000

117 Waters Edge Court 2A #2A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $112,500

307 Glan Tai Dr Sunrise Beach, MO 65079 $300,000

18 Trail Rd Eldon, MO 65026 $193,900

Lot #10 Alona Point Rd Osage Beach, MO 65065 $199,900

138 Falls Point Dr #2A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $189,900

1670 Bittersweet Rd Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $164,900

Four Seasons Realty Bagnell Dam Blvd @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.365.8596 FAX 573.365.8597 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 47

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

ACTIVE:

222 Park Place Ln #3A Kaiser, MO 65047 $158,500

70 Waterfall Circle 2B #2B Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $137,500

67 Odelia Pt Four Seasons, MO 65049 $128,000

101 Circle Edge 2B #20-2B Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $179,900

356 Regatta Bay Dr #2C Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $269,900

356 Regatta Bay Cir #3A Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $328,500

404 Regatta Bay Dr #1-D Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $199,000

160 Oak Hill Forest Dr Eldon, MO 65026 $124,999

179 Vintage Dr #3A Four Seasons, MO 65049 $95,000

133 Ventura Dr #1A Four Seasons, MO 65049 $78,500

5450 Christopher Dr #235 Osage Beach, MO 65065 $165,000

84 Primrose Camdenton, MO 65020 $219,000

Four Seasons Realty 48 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

Bagnell Dam Blvd @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.365.8596 FAX 573.365.8597 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

245 Bristol Bay Dr #3B Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $208,500

70-1F Sunrise Ridge Dr #1-F Sunrise Beachm MO 65079 $80,000

179 Bentwood Court Unit 179 Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $85,900

E-708 Harbour Towne Dr #E-708 Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $184,900

43 Boston Ct Lake Ozark, MO 65049 $224,000

1160 Fontana Ln Linn Creek Missouri 65052 $249,000

1589 Muirfield Rd Porto Cima, MO 65079 $269,900

845 Sylvan Bay Dr Linn Creek, MO 65052 $319,900

184 Plaza Gardens Ct #4C Camdenton, MO 65020 $335,000

24 Twiggy Ln Eldon, MO 65026 $288,000

31661 Low Rd Gravois Mills, MO 65037 $89,500

174 Silent Spring Ln Roach, MO 65787 $274,999

Four Seasons Realty Bagnell Dam Blvd @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.365.8596 FAX 573.365.8597 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark, MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 49

Bagnell Dam Blvd. @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.693.9701 FAX 573.693.9046 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

If you are ready to make a change Contact Four Seasons Realty Today,

We will get you moving!

Bagnell Dam Blvd. @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.693.9701 FAX 573.693.9046 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

FOUR SEASONS REALTY, under New Ownership, is one of the Lake’s most established real estate companies, and still growing! Since the early 60’s FOUR SEASONS has been the Leader in the Lake’s real estate industry. All 25 agents with FSR are seasoned professionals that strive to make your transactions smooth and enjoyable. Our 25 agents have more than 200 years of combined real estate experience.

Our location at the corner of Bus 54 & Horseshoe Bend Parkway offers an agent on duty every day of the week from 8:00-5:00-Walk-ins welcomed!! Whether searching for a home, condo, land or commercial investment, you need a real estate partner with experience, professionalism and results oriented service.

FOUR SEASONS REALTY covers the Lake area from shore to shore. No matter what the location or budget, our agents’ mission is to serve your needs when buying or selling real estate. Our experience helps put your search in perspective, let us help you find the perfect home for your family to begin...

MAKING MEMORIES AT THE LAKE !!

FOUR SEASONS REALTY offers no cost comparative market analysis using recent market data to help evaluate current value of your property. Let a professional help determine the value of your real estate.

50 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

Bagnell Dam Blvd. @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.693.9701 FAX 573.693.9046 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

REALTORS

Bagnell Dam Blvd. @ Horseshoe Bend Parkway PHONE 573.693.9701 FAX 573.693.9046 109 Horseshoe Bend Parkway, Lake Ozark MO 65049 www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com

Jim Albers

Peggy Albers

Tony Asturias

Bill Bond

573-216-5144

573-569-8792

573-280-9326

573-692-2717

St Louis, MO Broker/REALTOR

Lake Ozark, MO REALTOR

San Diego, CA REALTOR

Florissant, MO REALTOR

Annette Fox O’Connor

St Louis, MO BDAR PRES 2017-BDAR VP 2008-2016-POWER AGENT, ,GRI, RRES, OWNER

573-216-4217

Heidi Ehlert

Galvin Humphries Kylee Kimball

Karen Lee

816-390-4045

573-216-3600

573-216-4574

St Joseph, MO REALTOR

St Louis, MO REALTOR

Germany REALTOR

St Louis, MO REALTOR

573-539-5673

Carol Duke

Tamera Moseley

Denny Ohde

Ruth Roorda

Jeanette Russell

314-540-9828

573-480-5461

573-552-5263

573-286-3830

573-692-1055

Bridgeton, MO Broker/REALTOR

Stuttgart, AR REALTOR

Christine Bond

Randy Smith

Margie Stafford

Mary Lou Stone

Richard Summers

321-945-6613

573-219-0083

573-280-4551

573-280-3054

913-220-0717

Florissant, MO REALTOR

Jim Trowbridge Geneseo, Il REALTOR

573-480-5045

Manning, IA REALTOR

Pella, IA REALTOR

Mexico, MO REALTOR

St Joseph, MO Broker/ REALTOR ABR,CRS,GRI,CLHMS

Robyn Cionko

Dan Gilpin Marilyn Tucker Waverly, MO Gilpin

Granite City, IL REALTOR

573-480-6045

REALTOR

816-805-2227

Greenfield, MA Broker/REALTOR

St Joseph, MO REALTOR, ABR

816-805-1253

Eldon, MO REALTOR

Kansas City, MO Broker/REALTOR

Priscilla Nick Tom Nick Booneville, MO REALTOR

St Charles, MO REALTOR

573-216-3614 573-239-9652 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 51

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

Living the

Lakefront Lifestyle H

ave you been considering purchasing a Lakefront home? The growth that has surrounded our beautiful Lake of the Ozarks region has been incredible and has even garnered national attention. Recently, USA Today named The Lake of the Ozarks the #1 recreational Lake in the United States!

The Lake life is a particular lifestyle choice that is incredibly exciting for many people. Rick and I have had numerous clients consider purchasing lakefront property this year, and they all want to know what’s important to consider when searching for this type of property.

When buyers are looking for a lakefront property, it’s not uncommon for buyers to get overwhelmed and overlook many of the important factors necessary to choose the perfect vacation home. This is one of the many reasons we have decided to partner with Four Seasons Realty.

As one of the first real estate companies at the Lake, Four Seasons Reality has years of experience. Their office stays open seven days a week, and the agents at Four Seasons are some of the most dedicated and hardworking people around. When you work with Four Seasons Realty to find your lakefront property, you can trust that you’ll be working with experienced agents who know the Lake well.

There’s a lot to love about living the lakefront lifestyle, but you need to be aware of all the considerations that go into purchasing a lakefront property. Buying a lakefront home is very different on some levels compared to the purchase of your primary residence here in the St. Louis area, and that’s why Rick and I choose to partner with experienced agents at the Lake. It is important to understand these differences before

52 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

making the leap into purchasing this type of home.

To start, we always ask if our clients plan to be at the lake often.

Living on a lake can be a lot of fun, but it can also be more work. So you need to decide, do you want a home or a condo? No matter the choice, if it is not kept in good repair with regular maintenance by professionals or yourself, we all know that can lead to various problems and decline of your property values. If you decide to purchase a home, make sure you arrange for regular lawn maintenance as well.

If you live the sun as much as we do, you’ll know it’s important to consider whether or not the property faces the direction you’d prefer. I’d suggest taking into consideration the direction of the sun and how it sets.

Does the home get morning or afternoon sun? If you are getting afternoon sun, does the deck have any sun protection? It does get pretty hot when you spend a lot of time outside, so a little shade is always nice as well.

One of the best parts of living on the lake is looking out over the water every morning while having a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, not every home labeled as a lake home offers this kind of view. Depending on your needs or your budget, the view might not be a priority. However, if you want to get the most out of lakefront living, you should make certain that the view you have from your home fits your desires and whether or not there is any chance the view could change.

Make sure the lake has been completely developed in the area you’re looking to purchase your property as well, and if it’s not, be sure to ask plenty of questions. The view you have at the time of your purchase could change if there are still building lots either surrounding the property or on the other side of the lake. At a moment’s notice, you could

be looking at something completely different than you planned on.

In addition, homes located directly on the lake are typically more valuable than land-locked homes, even if they’re in the same area. You may pay more initially for a Lakefront property, but the potential for greater appreciation is typical with a lakefront home.

When you’re on the lake, those properties tend to keep more value should the real estate market decline.

One of the things you may notice at the Lake of the Ozarks is that some lakefront homes are technically on the lake, but the lots are so steep that getting down to the water can be a real challenge. If you have issues with stairs or think you may have this vacation home later in life, then you will want a flatter lot. As you get older, it will become harder and harder to climb up and down a steep lot to get to the water.

This is one of the considerations for buying on a lake that many people don’t think about.

It’s essential to find out as much information as you can about the lake, which is one reason why it’s important to work with a realtor who lives at the lake full-time. Here are some excellent questions to ask your realtor when considering buying a lakefront home: • • • • • • • • •

• • •

Is the bottom rocky, sandy or muddy?

How busy is the lake during each season?

What recreational opportunities are available on the lake?

How easy is it to access the shoreline from your home?

Does the lake maintain its water level or does it go up and down with the seasons?

What types of fish are in the lake?

Does the lake flood? How close is your home to the flood-line?

Will you be required to obtain flood insurance?

If you boat, how easy is it to get your boat in and out of the lake? Are you allowed to have a dock right off of your house, or is it okay to travel around the lake for an access point?

Are there any specific things that are not allowed on the lake?

Are there any local ordinances about noise or having parties in or around the lake?

Is there a Home Owners Association where you plan to purchase your home? Be sure to find out if there are any fees and ask for a copy of the bi-laws.

At the Lake of the Ozarks, there is a wide variety of housing.

You’ll find small Lakefront homes that have been expanded upon and

turned into more permanent residences. Many times, homeowners add a second level to their home as the family and guest list grows. Obviously local zoning can vary quite a bit, and if this is something you think you may consider down the road, it is important to find out what you can and can’t do before purchasing the property. You may have grand visions of putting on a second story or adding a large addition, and discover it’s just not possible. Better to find out before than after you have made your purchase.

If you are purchasing a home as a vacation property, you may have different needs from the property than if it is a primary residence. We all know that as soon as you purchase a Lake property, suddenly it feels like you have more family members and great friends. So, the size is another factor that may vary based on your planned usage for the home. If you plan to live in the home and have a lot of guests during the peak season, you will probably want a larger home with extra bedrooms for guests. If you just want to bring your immediate family out during the summer, a smaller home might be just fine.

Another thing to consider is privacy. Is that important to you? Keep in mind, the closer you are to the water, the more traffic from boaters, jet skis and lake users. If you’re like us, we enjoy that. Everyone is happy and carefree at the Lake, and we love to be a part of that.

Of course, there are some who just want to relax and watch the sunset, and having a location that’s set back farther away from the lake or owning a condo on an upper-level might be a better option for you.

The most important thing is, regardless of whether or not you’re buying or selling a lakefront home, you’ll want to work with a realtor that understands the complexities of the sale or purchase of a home on the lake.

I strongly advise against randomly selecting a real estate agent when you want to buy a lakefront home. It’s best to interview multiple agents to find out what makes them an expert at finding lakefront homes to satisfy their clients’ needs, and don’t forget to ask a lot of questions. After all, this is an investment, and you need an agent who is representing your best interest and is very knowledgeable about all things lakefront. It’s important to note that Lakefront homes can be more challenging to find at a good price due to higher demand. With the right agent, the search becomes easier, and you know that your agent will represent your best interest.

When selling a lake front home, understand that marketing the property well becomes vital. We are so happy to have partnered with Four Seasons, which means your property will not only be featured on our weekly radio show every Saturday morning at 11AM on KRMS, it will also be featured on our four weekly radio shows in St. Louis and Illinois. Now, your properties are getting exposure to a large audience in two states. We also circulate this magazine throughout Missouri and Illinois, and soon you’ll be able to find it in Kansas City as well.

You can easily found on the internet as well at www.tracyellis. com, www.rickandtracyellisteam.com, or at www.4seasonsrealtyinc.com.

Four Seasons Realty also does an incredible job with photography and real estate descriptions, and we can even tell the story of your home right here in our magazine. The realtor you select should be available and have excellent marketing skills. As you can see, there is a lot to think about when buying or selling a lake house!

If you are thinking about buying or selling a home or land at the Lake of the Ozarks, our team would welcome the opportunity to help you accomplish your goals.

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 53

FEATURE ARTICLE

The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show Joins News/Talk KRMS

N

ews/Talk KRMS is a talk-radio station in the Lake of the Ozarks and is the only high-definition station in Missouri outside of Kansas City and St. Louis. Similar to KMOX in St. Louis, News/Talk KRMS mainly addresses local issues and relevant programming that caters directly to Lake of the Ozarks residents both in and outside of town. In addition to big names like Rush Limbaugh, the station features local hosts Kevin Burns in the morning and Reuben Perdue in the afternoons.

On the weekends, KRMS switches gears from hard-hitting news and feature stories to a more light-hearted line-up that’s oriented towards life at the Lake. Weekend shows can include anything from boating and fishing to science and entrepreneurship, but up until now, KRMS was missing a show that reported specifically on one of the Lake’s most talked about subjects—real estate.

It’s an old pastime for lake-goers to hop in a boat and drive the shoreline to marvel at all of the jaw-dropping lakefront homes. Now, you’ll be able to hear about some of these incredible properties in addition to interviews with successful Lake of the Ozark realtors on The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show on News/Talk KRMS. By working with Four Seasons Realty in the Lake of the Ozarks, Rick and Tracy have entered the upper-echelon of premier real estate salespersons in the area, and now they’ll be able to share everything they know on their new show. Built exclusively for the Ozarks, The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show on KRMS will be a welcome addition to the weekend line-up.

The Lake of the Ozarks area is growing tremendously, and prospective buyers and sellers will be able to listen to Rick and Tracy’s show as a sort of guide for navigating the region’s real estate market and avoid making costly mistakes. News/Talk KRMS is the only talk radio

54 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

station within the five counties surrounding the Lake of the Ozarks, and though the station takes reporting the news very seriously, they recognize lake-goers enjoy relaxing over the weekend, which makes Rick & Tracy’s show a perfect fit for the weekend line-up.

In addition to providing hard-hitting news and lake-lifestyle updates throughout the week, KRMS also puts on two of the Lake’s largest annual events: Lake Race and The Shoot Out. Each of these highly-anticipated yearly events features high-speed motor boats, racing, and good old fashioned fun on the Lake.

News/Talk KRMS can be heard in the Lake of the Ozarks on 1150 AM, 97.5 FM, 103.3 FM, and worldwide online. To tune-in to The Rick & Tracy Ellis Show, turn your dial to one of these stations on Saturdays at 11 am. Find News/Talk KRMS on the web at www.krmsradio.com for more information.

Rick& TracyEllis

The

Show

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TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 55

BUYING & SELLING

Is Your Roof Leaking?

Signs and Warnings You Should Lookout For

A

s soon as a home’s roof starts leaking, it’s the most obvious sign that it could be time to replace your roof— but it’s not the only one. There are many signs that could eventually lead to a leaking roof, but the key is to identify these problems early enough to prevent water damage and save you money. If you maintain your roof and have early intervention when problems occur, this can be the difference between repairing or replacing your roof. There are a number of things to consider when making this decision, such as the age of the roof and the extent of the damage, otherwise you may find roof repair a constant burden.

Signs of an impending leaking roof The integrity of your roof is probably not something you think of often, but knowing the warning signs of a failing roof can really come in handy.

Do you have missing or torn shingles? If so, this can expose the roof to water damage and rot and make nearby shingles more susceptible to being blown away. Old shingles will curl, split, and lose their waterproofing effectiveness. These weakened shingles can also be easily blown away by wind gusts.

Do you have rusted or missing flashing? This can result in a leaking roof as well. Flashing is the metal that surrounds chimneys, skylights, and vent pipes, and is often found in the valleys where roof sections meet.

Do your gutters and downspouts show evidence of blockage, improper installation or damage? It’s important to keep leaves and scraps of roofing removed from your gutters.

Do you walls or ceilings look discolored in any spots? Discoloration and warping can be signs water has already entered through the rough and might require immediate attention.

Should you replace a roof without removing the existing roof?

56 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

The integrity of your

There are two main roof replacement options: you can either remove the old roof or put a new roof down on top of the old one. Putting a new roof down on top of the old one is almost always cheaper, but it doesn’t last as long. This is a typical situation where you get what you pay for. However, some considerations can make one choice better than the other. If you have more than two roofing layers already present, your roof can get heavy and the sub-layers may end up ing throgh to the point where your new roof is no longer stable. Most roofing contractors will not install more than two layers of shingles for this very reason.

Repairing or replacing a roof can be a frequent source of home improvement failure. You need to find a quality roofing contractor. This is a difficult enough task on its own, so it’s important to speak with several companies.

roof is probably not

something you think

of often, but knowing

the warning signs of a failing roof can really come in handy.

What should you keep in mind when replacing a roof?

If you need to remove and replace your existing roof, make sure it’s done properly. Once the old roof has been removed, there’s a chance the roof deck will need to be repaired if it has settled or shows signs of rot. You’ll also want to ask your roofing contractor to review the slope of your roof to ensure you’re receiving optimal drainage. All of these considerations are paramount to getting the most out of your new roof.

A high quality roofing material and proper installation should give you a new roof that will last many years.

BUYING & SELLING

Q&A with Rick and Tracy

I

n our area, we witness our fair share of hail and wind damage during the spring and damage from heavy snow fall in the winter. When buying a home, it is common to have the roof inspected by your building inspector, but we also suggest you have a roofing contractor inspect the roof as well.

The roof is one of the most important parts of a home, and making sure your roof is in great condition before selling your home can also be a very smart investment to assist in getting your home sold.

Q: What is a roof inspection?

A: To put it simply, roof inspections determine the integrity of a roof, how long it may last, and when it will need to be replaced. Roof inspectors have special procedures wherein they can determine the lifespan of a given roof without tearing into it, so inspectors should not climb up on your roof or the roof of a home you are thinking of buying to pull up shingles or tiles. At first glance, it might seem that roofing inspectors would have to pull up part of the roof to do a thorough examination, but if you consider your own roof, you would not want anyone lifting up shingles just to see if it was in good shape.

inspect a roof where they don’t even have to touch the surface of the roof itself to determine its integrity. This process uses infrared rays to locate parts of a roof that are at higher or lower temperatures than the rest of the roof. These “hot spots” can show a roof inspector just exactly where heat is escaping. Some building inspectors have this technology as well, but a roof inspector is going to have more extensive knowledge.

Q: Are roof inspections expensive?

A: Roof inspections are not that expensive, and some roofing companies will inspect your roof at no cost. These roofing inspections can give you, your loan officer, and insurance company peace of mind.

Purchasing a home is already a large investment, so it’s nice to know that when the rain is coming down or there is snow weighing down your roof, your roof will be able to handle it, keeping you and your family safe, warm, and dry.

Q: Are Roof Inspectors different from Home Inspectors?

A: Roof inspectors may have other techniques than home inspectors. For instance, a roof inspector might use infrared technology to

TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 57

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RICK ELLIS: 636-699-2197 | TRACY ELLIS: 636-299-3702 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 59

12824 Ladue Rd. St. Louis, MO 63141 - Stunning home on a 1-acre lot – 5 Beds, 5 Bath, 4,624 sq ft – Spectacular in-ground pool

$775,000 Call or email for more info: 636.299.3702 Tracy@TracyEllis.com 636.699.2197 Rick@TracyEllis.com www.TracyEllis.com

Custom Built Estate n over 17 acres with quality o craftsmanship throughout!

2345 Denmark Union, MO 63084

$549,900

Call Rick or Tracy for more information: 636.299.3702 | www.TracyEllis.com

6 Beds, 5 Baths, 4,850 sq ft Almost 6 private acres

2639 Summit View Dr Barnhart, MO 63012

$575,000

Call Rick or Tracy for more information: 636.299.3702 | www.TracyEllis.com

102 Stone Ridge Meadows Dr O’Fallon, MO 63366 - 5 Beds, 4 Baths, 2,496 sq ft - 1 acre lot, brand new, stunning in-ground pool and fenced yard - Beautiful hand scraped oak hardwood floors

$650,000 Call or email Rick or Tracy Ellis for more info: 636.299.3702 | Tracy@TracyEllis.com 636.699.2197 | Rick@TracyEllis.com www.TracyEllis.com

Unique Custom Build

1115 Scenic Ridge Dr Eureka, MO 63025

$1,399,900

Call or email Rick or Tracy Ellis for more info: 636.299.3702 | Tracy@TracyEllis.com 636.699.2197 | Rick@TracyEllis.com www.TracyEllis.com

657 Fairfield Valley Road Pacific, MO 63073 This country property at 657 Fairfield Valley Road in Pacific, MO, offers economic opportunities as well as a chance to simply enjoy country living. Included is a two-acre pond which offers an economic opportunity with aquaculture. Currently the pond is stocked with largemouth bass and blue gill and is large enough to establish a fish farm.

With such a gorgeous, private location—it’s perfect to just relax and enjoy nature as the surrounding wildlife abounds. The home’s deck is a great platform for watching birds and animals in their natural environment. There are squirrels, rabbits, fox, opossums, deer, racoons, turkeys, and much more to enjoy. A number of bird species frequent the area including rare, pileated woodpeckers; eastern bluebirds; gold and purple finches; blue jays, great blue and green herons; and belted kingfishers.

Two and a half acres of the property were planted in native grasses and forbs. This mix of plants improves the soil by sending deep roots into the soil which helps to break up the clay and prevents erosion. The native plants provide and added benefit through the beauty and color they bring. During the months of spring, summer and fall, new flowers continue to bloom attracting a variety of insect and birds while creating a spectacular and breathtaking view.

$499,000 Contact Rick & Tracy Ellis for info: 636.299.3702 or 636.699.2197 www.TracyEllis.com 64 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

11045 Koch Rd Bloomsdale, MO 63627 Surrounded by the best features Missouri’s landscape has to offer, this property is a tranquil dream with gently rolling hills, meadows, and heavily wooded areas The Koch Road home sits on around 97 acres of land with two small ponds, a creek with year-round water flow, and a 37.9-acre pecan tree orchard that’s lined with mature hardwoods.

Long, winding trails stretch throughout the acreage. These trails are perfect for riding horseback and ATVs or simply enjoying the jaw-dropping scenery. As if that’s not appealing enough, the home even overlooks a gorgeous, fully-stocked lake as well as a rustic log cabin and cottage.

With quick access to nearby highways, this property has all of the desirable elements of a rustic, country home without the inconvenience of a truly rural location. The home’s proximity to local highways makes for an easy commute to St. Louis and surrounding areas, which means you really can have the best of the country and the city all at once.

For more information about this hidden treasure in Bloomsdale, Missouri, or if you’re looking for agents with experience marketing and selling rural properties, contact The Rick & Tracy Ellis Team today!

$699,900 Contact Rick & Tracy Ellis for info: 636.299.3702 or 636.699.2197 www.TracyEllis.com TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE 65

VIP VENDOR LIST CREDIT REPAIR

Phoenix Credit Consultants

HOME WARRANTY

HSA Home Warranty

Home Warranty of America

314-429-2040

636-346-5237 314-562-5099

PAINTERS

Thomas A Paluczak

Professional Painting

Life Styles Painting

You’re Covered Painting

CLEANERS

Saint Louis Sparkle Clean

314-518-0672

FENCES

St. Louis Dog Fence-Pet Stop

314-436-7200

ROOF AND SIDING

Signature Exteriors. INC

Crown Restoration LLC

Lifetime Roofing and Renovation

636-358-9002 314-359-0127 314-339-4587

HVAC

Swiss Air Heating and Cooling

General Contracting

Academy Air

Gold Kamp Heating and Cooling

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

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 LAWN CARE

Green Elements

Richard Katz Designs, LLC

314-764-5296 314-956-2058

Moving companies

Renew Transfer

Goodfellas Moving

Simple Moves

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

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

BUILDERS AND SUPPLY

Tree Court Builders Supply

WINDOWS AND AWINGS

Glenlo Awning and Window

Pella Windows and Doors

Tree court Builders Supply

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

314-568-3300

BUILDING INSPECTORS

Pillar to Post- Scott Frederick Team

Legacy Home Inspections

Denny Arnett Home Team Inspection

CDInspect

314-571-9824 636-466-3130 3 14-732-5954 618-530-7070

WINDOW CLEANERS AND POWER WASHERS

Window-Brite 636-577-3325

Born Again Restoration 314-985-9536

Curb Appeals Pros 314-698-3282

POOL INSPECTIONS

Unique Pool Management

Midwest Pool Builders

Pool Tron

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

MORTGAGE

USA Mortgage

St. Charles Mortgage

First Bank Mortgage

314-497-7435 314-607-8551 314-660-2223

PEST CONTROL

Richardsons Pest

Blue Chip Pest Control

636-387-2400 636-970-1180

66 TRACY ELLIS MAGAZINE

HANDYMAN

All My Girls

Joe Thebeau

Luke’s Handyman

636-698-2805 636-543-0167 314-486-6763

WINDOW REPAIR AND BROKEN THERMAL SEALS

Floyd Glass 636-922-3569

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

FLOORING

Beseda Flooring

St Louis Wood Floor

636-926-9989 314-369-6857

HOME STAGERS/DESIGNERS

Yours By Design

Heather Hannick Designs

314-283-1760 314-814-2577

IRRIGATION

Aqua Irrigation Inc.

636-240-9955

ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS

Criterium- Haroy Engineers Architect

314-878-0806 314-640-4447

DECKS

Decks and Beyond LLC

314-539-1225

ROOF CLEANERS

Clean Roof STL

Curb Appeals Pros

314-221-9255 314-698-3282

JUNK REMOVAL

Dirt Cheap Hauling and Demo

636-579-6081

BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

Basement and Foundation Repair Cornerstone Structural Repair and Waterproofing

AdvantaClean

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CONCRETE

D.M. Terrill Concrete

Rick Thomas Concrete

Hoffman Concrete LLC

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TUCK POINTING

Galati and Sons Tuck Pointing

St Louis Brick and Tuck-pointing

314-220-7012 636-253-8096

OUTDOOR LIGHTING

Dusk to Dawn Outdoor Lighting

The Lawn Champs

314-529-0090 636-697-2311

INSURANCE

Lanham Agency LLC

State Farm Jim Schilkoski

Ben Hagan Farmers Agency

Stephen Teague Agency American Family Insurance

USI Insurance Services LLC ASPHALT AND SEALING

A1 Professional Asphalt and Sealing

636-346-8183

636-779-5976 636-978-4800 314-635-9300 636-938-6778 314-565-3427

618-660-8711

PLUMBING

Sewer Pros

Steve Gratta Dad’s Plumbing

R.A. Guinner Plumbing Company

314-821-1600 314-322-1977 314-752-9850

ELECTRIC

Paramount Electric

Roberts Electric Innovated General ContractingElectric Services

314-486-8531

RADON

St Louis Radon Test and Mitigation

AdvantaClean

Midwest Radon and Mitigation

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

WATER PURIFICATION

ThreeStrand

Trionics Superior Water

636-940-4007 636-928-0601

BLINDS

Two Blind Guys

The Blind Broker of STL, LLC

636-537-8008 636-970-7283

APPLIANCE VENDOR

Pacific Kitchen and Home

314-443-5048

CONSTRUCTION

ARC Construction

Lifetime Roofing and Renovation

Titan Construction

Absolute Exteriors

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

RETAINING WALLS

Retaining Walls LLC

314-608-1982

FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Benjamin F. Edwards

Northwestern Mutual

314-854-9909 314-640-2083

GARAGE DOOR REPAIR

Anco Overhead Door

636-343-9167

ESTATE SALES

Davis Estate Sales

M.J.’s Estate Sales, LLC

314-330-0004 314-440-5175

MOLD REMOVAL

AdvantaClean

Moldman St. Louis

636-219-3877 314-282-9791

314-226-6551 636-256-8170

BUSINESS SALES

Gateway Business Brokers of St. Louis 254-495-4499

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 MAGAZINE 67

HORSE & EQUESTRIAN The Rick and Tracy Ellis Team would love to tell a story about your property!

To see our entire selection, visit TracyEllis.com or call Tracy: 636.299.3702 or Rick: 636.699.2197

6512 Franks Rd House Springs MO 63051

11045 Koch Rd Bloomsdale, MO 63627