Blog > Blog > Archive by tag 'safety'

February 26, 2010 at 8:24 pm

A drive down the streets in the City of St. Louis after dark can be a telling thing. Some streets that seem great during the day show a different face at night. One of the most telling things about an area during the night is not the curb appeal of a house, but the quality of  lighting along the street.

As a property owner, you don’t really have much too say about the streetlights, but lighting your own property is totally within your control. Having a reasonable wattage light fixture on your porch and/or in other places in your front yard can do wonders for not only your property, but the entire block. The more houses on a street with good lighting, the safer the street feels.

Better lighting also makes it harder for would-be burglars and robbers to hide in the shadows. I encourage you to leave these lights on all times after dark, whether anyone is home or not. Perhaps install a light sensing fixture that turns itself on. If you use something like that it conjunction with a florescent light bulb, the costs will be low too.

I tried to take some example pictures of this affect for comparison, but nighttime pictures are a little tricky to get perfect exposure-wise. If you won’t take my word for it, drive through a few neighborhoods after dark for yourself sometime. I think you’ll agree, a few lights make all the difference.


February 26, 2010 at 3:00 pm

When renting apartments and selling multi-families, I have never really been able to figure out which people prefer: a first or second floor apartment. On one hand, the first floor apartment is usually easier to move furniture into and doesn’t require you to climb a flight of steps every time you come home. On the other hand, second floor units are usually safer because the windows are not reachable from the ground. They also tend to be quieter since you don’t have anyone above you.

My assumption has always been that the preference is slightly in favor of upper level units, but I am curious what you think. Which do you think is better? Please feel free to share explanations in the comment section.

When choosing an apartment, do you prefer a first or second floor unit?

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September 14, 2009 at 2:40 pm

It’s no secret that the City of St. Louis has it’s share of crime problems. The trouble is, no matter how much money is pumped into police patrols, they are still merely a reactive force. To really stop crime, it takes the community coming together and saying “we won’t stand ofr it anymore.” Thats were the Guardian Angels come in. Read more

August 31, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Last night at 2am I got a surprising wake-up call: the alarm was going off at my rehab project in Tower Grove South. The police were already there and requesting a key-holder to come over. Upon arriving on the scene I witnessed the sobering site of a backdoor kicked in. Read more

April 8, 2009 at 4:50 pm

I’m certainly no stranger to visiting shady buildings. I have been going into vacant houses all over the area for years. Mostly by myself. I understand the risk and accept it. But that doesn’t mean that property owners and their real estate agents don’t have some level of responsiblity in making sure the property is safe. Read more

October 30, 2008 at 12:58 pm

We all know them, we all hate them. They are pigeons. Or if you prefer, “rats with wings.” As with squirrels, they are fine in rural or suburban settings where there numbers are limited, but in urban areas they can be a real pain. They are noisy when they roost and I don’t need to tell you about the mess they leave behind. So how do you get rid of them? Read more

June 18, 2008 at 2:46 pm

If you’ve ever been curious about where and when murders have been taking place in St. Louis City, the Post Dispatch has just made your wish come true. They just posted a map with all the murders in the City over the past three and a half years. The map can be personalized to show murders in only certain years. Read more

May 27, 2008 at 4:43 pm

Just like radiators, I’ve always thought window air conditioners get an unfairly bad wrap. They are relatively cheap (usually between $100 and $300 per unit), most models are efficient if properly installed and there is no need to install expensive ductwork throughout the building. Read more

May 16, 2008 at 1:54 pm

When you’re standing on a deck or any man-made structure, do you ever wonder who built it and if they knew what they were doing. When looking at properties, these questions should be considered. And if you’re doing the work yourself, it’s always important to make sure that it is being done right. Failing to do so can cost a lot of money and even lives. Read more

May 7, 2008 at 3:08 pm

The tuckpointing in your brick building is starting to decay. Cracks are forming and small chunks of mortar are beginning to fall out. Sounds like you’re due to take on the “not too difficult” but time consuming task of tuckpointing. Time to head on down to the nearest Home Depot or Lowes at stock up on tuckpointing supplies and ready mix mortar. Right? If you are tuckpointng an older building like those found through most of St. Louis City and much of St. Louis County, you just made a mistake. Read more

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