Blog > Blog > Archive by tag 'security'

March 5, 2010 at 5:04 pm

Over the past few years, the St. Louis Board of Alderman have debated the prospected of a vacant property registration system numerous times. One bill almost passed about a year ago. Not taking no for an answer, Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett brought the issue back up recently. The new bill corrected many of the issues with the previous versions, but many in the real estate industry felt the bill still had unfair aspects.

Apparently, the Board of Alderman did not agree. I have been unable to officially verify this, or who specifically voted for it, but the bill passed this morning. From now on, whenever a property is vacant in the City of St. Louis for at least six months, and has recorded code violations, it must be registered with the City. The owner must provide their contact info and pay an annual $200 fee.  The provided information will then be placed on a  publicly available database. There will be some exceptions to this, but I still don’t know at this point if there were any last minute alterations to the bill before it was passed. Check back for more details and implications soon.

For more, check out the official Bill #322 website.

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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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

August 21, 2009 at 12:29 pm

Frequently visiting vacant, sometimes unsecured buildings, I must admit that at times I have been quite uneasy when entering a property. Especially by myself. That’s why I bought a mace gun. 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 17, 2008 at 10:18 am

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but the looting in our area seems to be getting worse all the time. Whether the target is scrap or antiques, its running rampant. Most of the time, the cost is economic, but sometimes the cost is much higher. Unfortunately, this is a pretty egregious case of the latter. Read more

September 30, 2008 at 9:19 pm

This isn’t exactly breaking news, but I thought I should share some info about a St. Louis City Bill (Board Bill 174) that could have a direct affect on City investors. This bill was introduced in July to the Board of Alderman by Alderwoman Triplett and Alderman Kennedy. Here is the summary of the bill as it was presented in July: Read more

September 10, 2008 at 2:12 pm

If you read this blog often you know how much of a concern I consider copper theft. These guys rob investors blind and the world seems to be unable to stop them. Most of the time. Every now and then these crooks get caught. Read more

August 7, 2008 at 5:47 pm

One of the most common questions landlords face when managing their apartments is whether or not to allow pets in their property. We all know the negative side of having pets: they can pee on the carpet, scratch hardwood floors, chew on cabinets corners… You get the idea. But if you don’t consider the positive aspects of allowing them in your rental units you could be selling yourself short. Read more

July 31, 2008 at 12:24 pm

I saw this painted on the front of a building on the 37XX block of Pennsylvania this morning and thought it really summed up the current copper theft situation. On one hand the message is funny, while on the other its just sad.

I’m never one to advocate for the government to get involved in peoples lives, but this theft has to stop. This is beyond a local issue. We need to get scrap yards in both Missouri and Illinois to stop the flow of this stolen copper. This don’t ask, don’t tell policy on where scrap comes from and who is collecting it has to come to an end.

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 14, 2008 at 4:50 pm

Just when it seemed that increased security measures at local scrap yards were having a positive effect on copper theft, spring had to hit. Over the winter, even buildings that weren’t secured properly seemed to be holding onto their copper longer than usual. In the past couple of weeks, as the temperatures have been rising, I have defintely noticed an increase in theft of copper in St. Louis City properties. Read more

March 31, 2008 at 4:52 pm

security ironNothing hurts a landlord’s pocketbook or pride like being the victim of theft or vandalism. The main security issue facing landlords in St. Louis and around the country is copper theft, but there are many other temping targets at any property. One particularly expensive and “easy to steal” component are AC condensers. Read more

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