WE JUST LEFT THE RESTAURANT where we go for lunch almost every Sunday after church. Our favorite waitress looked a little off kilter, so we called her over to chat. She started crying. One of her regular customers died of a heart attack this morning just as he was paying his check at the restaurant. She tried to revive him, but she couldn't get a pulse or breath. The paramedics came and couldn't revive him either. THREE WAITRESSES WERE THERE, trying to help him, trying to follow the instructions of the 911 operator, and then crying as they told us of the scene that had taken place just over an hour before we arrived. The man's car is still in the parking lot, and they are all trying to act like today is a normal day as they try not to see out of the front window. Dear Heart Buddies: Ta... 02/07/2016

Dear buyer who is tempted to "low ball" an offer:Let's talk about making a winning offer. If a "win" is getting a bargain, we may be looking a long time in the current sellers' market. If a "win" is getting the house you really want, we need to be realistic about what sellers expect during a sellers' market. It's pretty unlikely that you can squeeze an owner in the current market. Consider (or maybe reconsider) the following questions: Have you already lost a home that was perfect for you Do all decision makers have an equal desire to purchase a home at this time...or is somebody sabotaging the process, either consciously or subconsciously (when more than one person is making the decision) How long before you need to be in a new home When does your lender's pre-approval letter expire Do... 08/21/2015

School children and teachers wait not so patiently for the first snow day of the season. Freshmen living at Southeast Missouri State University can only imagine sliding down the fabled terraces in front of Academic Hall. Local supermarkets have shelves full of bread, neatly aligned gallons of milk, and ample supplies of shovels and ice melt. And my favorite "Social Mediarologist Bob Clubbs" has yet to issue his first freakout. Bob Clubbs predicts the severity of an incoming storm by issuing Freakout Alerts that are measured in gallons of milk needed to wait out the storm. A four gallon alert is a major storm. Alas, no Freakouts this year. Could the persimmons have been wrong? Where are the epic snow storms predicted by all of those spoons inside persimmon seeds? In a week when SNOW is m... 01/28/2015

A place where wallpaper is in vogue and where fireplaces are not optional - that would be a house built in 1883. The Glenn House in Cape Girardeau is a living museum, faithfully restored by the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau to capture details of the house as it was originally built and then remodeled in 1900 to its current Queen Anne style. The Glenn House website says the house has been "faithfully restored and has many original architectural features, such as lights, plumbing fixtures, moldings, and wall treatments. Authentic period furniture graces its late Victorian interior."The Glenn House is a home preserved in time, a true historical treasure. With each room is as it was at the turn of the twentieth century, The House is a window into what life was like durin... 01/26/2015

2254 Sherwood Dr., Cape Girardeau, MO Three bedroom, three bath brick ranch in Schrader District has main level laundry, full basement, and attached garage. Gas fireplace, covered patio and open patio, as well as covered front porch. Mostly finished basement has ceramic tile, large family area, bath, office and ample storage space. Home is extremely well maintained and has nice landscaping and fenced back yard. Within the last six years, new roof, new HVAC, sump pumps, waterproofing by Helitech, hot water heater, garage door openers, and survey. Enjoy the sound of the creek and watching nature from your patio, rain or shine. Owner has invested $40,000 in upgrades and maintenance on this home in the last six years, including additional insulation to make the house more energy efficient, ... 01/25/2015

  Buyers in Cape Girardeau during 2014 favored three bedroom houses, as evidenced by shorter days on market for those homes, higher sales price to list price ratio, and by the sheer number of units sold during the year. Of the total 469 closed sales, 217 were three bedroom homes.       Buyers in Jackson during 2014 also favored three bedroom houses, as evidenced by shorter days on market for those homes, higher sales price to list price ratio, and by the sheer number of units sold during the year. Of the total 357 closed sales, 182  were three bedroom homes.      Buyers in Cape Girardeau County (including Old Appleton, Fruitland, Oak Ridge, Delta, Whitewater, Burfordville) also showed a preference for three bedroom units, with 11 of the 18 homes sold and a larger sales price to list pr... 01/24/2015

Real estate market snapshots for the last three years in the Cape Girardeau service area show a remarkably stable real estate market. Highlights of the market are as follows: Total number of properties sold were 1599, 1511, and 1428 (for 2014, 2013, 2012 respectively). Average sold price for the years were $140,699, $139,647, and $138,625 (for 2014, 2013, 2012 respectively). The charts below are broken down into categories. RE is residential, and it is additionally broken down into subsections according to the number of bedrooms. Homes with three bedrooms netted the highest list to sold price in 2014 with 95.86% in 2014. Houses on the ends of the spectrum brought smaller list to sold prices in 2014 with one bedroom units bringing 87.29% of listed value, while five and five plus homes ta... 01/23/2015

Whether you are a history buff, an artist, a dreamer or an engineer, the riverfront and its protective floodwall are a "must see" attraction in Cape Girardeau. More than a mere floodwall, Cape Girardeau's concrete levy is home to a 550 foot mural dubbed the Missouri Wall of Fame. Informational plaques along the way give historical facts and add to the illustrations on the wall. In addition to several scenes that depict life and times along the river throughout history, the wall features portraits of famous Missourians, who were either born in the state or reached fame while living in the state. The list includes personalities from the famous to the infamous (you decide), but one notable missing person is Walt Disney--left off due to problems obtaining licensing permission from the Disne... 01/21/2015

Calling all brides! Isle Casino is hosting a Bridal Expo Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015. The event, "2015 Isle Bridal Expo at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau," will be located in the Casino Exhibition area from noon to 4 pm. A five dollar admission fee will be charged, with 100 percent of that registration fee to be donated to Old Town Cape. In addition to viewing the exhibits, participants will register for door prize drawings to be held all afternoon. Vendors have been asked to prepare 1,000 "goodie bags" to pass out to attendees. According to a release distributed to potential vendors, organizers predict a large turn-out of "...future brides spanning across 50 counties throughout Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, and Kentucky. In 2013, wedding bells rang for over 565 brides in just Cape Girardeau C... 01/14/2015

Where the river turns a thousand tales... Any story about Cape Girardeau has to feature the Mighty Mississippi River, and any story about Cape Girardeau and the river has to feature what has become one of Cape Girardeau's dominate architectural images: The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. While architects may ramble off statistics (such as those below from Wikipedia), the visual majesty of the structure is what captures the attention of visitors and, yes, even locals who see it regularly. Connecting Cape Girardeau, MO, and E. Cape Girardeau, Il, via Missouri highways 34 and 74 and Illinois 146, the towering bridge is visible from Main Street in Cape. Framed by the Common Pleas Courthouse to the right, the river and floodwall to the left, a driver going south on Main Street cannot help but... 01/13/2015

YEAR-TO-YEAR COMPARISON REPORT Statistics for: Area (Minor)=1, 2, 3, Class=RE, MF, Date Range01/01/2014-12/31/2014, Grouping Selector=3; Calendar year 2014   Qty Sold % Chg Volume Sold % Chg Average Sale % Chg Median Sale % Chg Qty Active % Chg RESIDENTIAL All Areas Cape Girardeau County Current Period 48   7,021,103   146,272   134,540   112   One Year Ago 46   6,813,622   148,122   142,500   128   Increase / (Decrease) 2 4 % 207,481 3 % (1,850) -1 % (7,960) -6 % (16) -12 % Cape Girardeau Current Period 446   73,755,457   165,370   131,837   1,189   One Year Ago 446   74,209,543   166,389   125,700   1,101   Increase / (Decrease) 0   (454,086) -1 % (1,019) -1 % 6,137 5 % 88 8 % Jackson Current Period 329   52,323,334   159,037   151,000   696   One Year Ago 359   59,451,844   165,604 ... 01/11/2015

Debbie Thurman of Coldwell Banker Abernathy Realty in Jackson, MO, reacts as Kathy Devor announces that Debbie has been chosen Realtor of the Year. Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors honored Debbie at the annual induction ceremony. This year's ceremony was held at Ray's of Kelso Convention center in Cape Girardeau on January 10, 2015. New officers of the Multiple List Society were also sworn in, as were new officers and directors of the Cape Girardeau Board of Realtors. Lori  Wibbenmeyer of  Preferred Realty  in Perryville is the new MLS president, replacing the retiring Rick Sinclair of Century 21 Ashland Realty in Cape Girardeau. Incoming president of the Board is Ken Kiefer of Realty Executives of Cape County in Cape Girardeau. Tina McMahon of McClanahan Realty is out going Boa... 01/10/2015

Good-hearted people almost always profess to wanting to help others, but most of us don't go out and start our own charities or projects in order to take part in "paying it forward." And we don't have to, because opportunities are all around us. You don't have to be a volunteer, a "do-gooder" or even have a particular cause in order to help others. In fact, entire organizations exist to gather resources and then distribute help to those who need it. In the Cape Girardeau area, Salvation Army, United Way, and Love INC are examples of year round opportunities. There are more, of course. Individuals can donate goods, time, or money by tapping into these organizations. Among the most successful collection efforts, though, are those that are organized by groups. My church, for instance, coll... 07/30/2014

Chilled to the bone five times today, I closed out the day by bringing home some House Special Soup from Chan's Restaurant. After she took my take-out order, Kiki brought me hot tea to drink while I waited. My family and I love Chan's, and it is our Saturday lunch destination every weekend, so Kiki and Niki (wife and husband proprietors) were somewhat taken aback when I showed up on Friday evening. Not to worry, though, I will be back tomorrow with the family. Tonight, I needed the soup and hot tea when I finally wrapped up the day's business after 8:30 pm. I sometimes refer to it as "Chan's Magical Soup," while invoking its magic to ward off illness or to chase away illness. Tonight is going to be the coldest night of the season, and today was windy with falling temperatures. My daught... 07/29/2014

Gilda Racelis' blog Did you just say saleswoman conjured up memories of my first week in contract sales. Before real estate, I had two other careers, teaching and then contract sales. While I agree that real estate is much more than sales, I will also say that any sales professional does all of the things Gilda mentioned, in varying degrees. My ten years in sales prepared me very well for real estate (as did my years in teaching). In addition to all of the product and negotiation skills we bring to the table, Realtors and salespeople share other experiences and traits. A typical sales professional will maybe not suffer allergic reactions to mold or cat-hair infested houses, but all salespeople carry hand sanitizer or make quick trips to wash their hands after dealing with a client who ... 01/08/2014

It is always A Really Big Deal when a transaction finally closes. Just as some students do when I look back over 20 years of teaching, some homes and their owners stand head and shoulders above the rest when I look back over the years in real estate. The Really Big Deal (or really little deal) blog challenge got me thinking, for sure. I thought about choosing my very first listing (which did not sell on my watch, because I foolishly let them over-price it). I just wanted my sign rider in a yard. I wanted to hold open houses on my own listing. I wanted a house picture in my ad. I thought about my very first closing, a double wide trailer. I thought about choosing my very first REO assignment, which DID sell on my watch. I had finally broken through into a niche market, and it helped make... 12/30/2013

  Come to join us as we celebrate the Reason for the Season! First Baptist Church is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church. Formerly a Southern Baptist Church, we were disaffiliated when we began ordaining women to ministry roles. For more information about the CBF you may go to: www.thefellowship.info and click on “Inside the CBF.” From our church website, "People who align with the CBF adhere to such principles as the Lordship of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, the priesthood of all believers, local church autonomy, separation of church and state, baptism of believers, and religious liberty. CBF is not a denomination, but is a fellowship of churches and individuals who hold these beliefs in common. These beliefs also include ordaining both women and men as deacons, and uph... 11/28/2013

Parade of Lights - Christmas Fun for Everyone!   The 22nd Annual Parade of Lights will be held on Sunday, Dec. 1. This year's theme is "Christmas Fun for Everyone."   Beginning at dusk, the parade will start at Capaha Bank on the corner of Broadway and Kingshighway, move east all the way down Broadway to Main Street. Turning right on Main Street, the parade will end at Hutson's Fine Furniture at Independence and Main.   Each float must have lights and play Christmas music. Only 100 entries are permitted each year, first come, first served.   Old Town Cape, organizers of the event, encourages spectators to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots. Like last year, the Marine Corps League will walk through the parade and collect the toys. The Marine Corps collected over 500 to... 11/26/2013

If you have never visited the famous Christmas Crafts Fairs in Cape Girardeau, make your way to Cape this weekend. Hundreds, yes that's right, HUNDREDS of exhibitors will display handmade items. Each year, the show features over 300 booths, many of which have live demonstrations. Many items can be personalized while you wait. It is the perfect time to pick up entirely unique Christmas gifts. In past years, I have purchased several closing gifts for my real estate clients. My favorite was an elaborate, seasonal door wreath for a December closing one year. Nothing like it will ever be seen in a retail store. Show Times: Saturday: 10am - 5pm and Sunday: 10am - 4pm Ticket Prices Saturday: $5 and Sunday $3 (tickets will get you into the Show Me Center and the Osage Center)                  ... 11/22/2013

As we neared our house in the subdivision, my husband and I found the road completely blocked by two fire trucks, a fire company response vehicle, an ambulance, and a police cruiser. Expecting to see smoke somewhere, we looked at the house which seemed to be the focus of attention. No smoke, but the house did have a ladder leading to the roof and there was a cooler on the roof. "Christmas decorations," my husband said. I looked quizzically at him, and he went on to explain, "Some people store their Christmas lights in coolers. He fell off the roof." "Oh, no! How sad," I said. Sad that such a joyful thing as Christmas decorations should end up in such an emergency. Yesterday (Tuesday) was a cool, windy day. After a line of deadly tornadoes swept through the Midwest on Sunday, Monday and ... 11/18/2013