Why We Do What We Do
SHORT TERM RENTAL
A Ruckart client was sitting in her salon listening to the usual salon chatter, when she heard her hairdresser say she wanted to move. You see, she LOVED her beautiful Oregon Hill home, but her neighbors had slowly shifted from quiet, neighborly folks to college chuckleheads who party loud, drink too much, and destroy things. She and her husband longed for a quieter existence - still in the city, but maybe with a bit more privacy and space - a true unicorn in 2021/2022......They were eager to leave, but not trying to rush the process of finding their forever home - so the question arose… “where will you go in the interim?” Our team at Ruckart Real Estate BELIEVES in what we say - homeownership and real estate investing is the most accessible form of wealth building today. Over the years, we have purchased investment properties and rented them out. As we found ourselves asking Sellers this “where will you go” question more and more, an idea came to mind. We’re already renting out our investment properties - why not rent them on a short term basis to home sellers looking to move and not wanting to rush the home buying process? And that is what we did. Our hairdresser friend was able to sell her gorgeous Oregon Hill home for top-dollar, then move into Brad’s rental property in Church Hill while she took her time finding her dream home. She found it - a mid-century fixer-upper just south of the river. Thanks to the flexible rental agreement, they were able to complete renovations before moving into their new home. On their schedule, they’ll be able to vacate Brad’s rental, move into their new home, and everyone wins.
"A" House to "The" house
Justin was working in the restaurant business back in 2009 when Brad encouraged him to capitalize on 100% financing loans, $7,500 grants to cover cash-to-close and $8000 of government-issued credits to first time homebuyers.....He encouraged Sean to move into an up-and-coming area at the time - Church Hill. At that time, homes were being listed at $150,000 and Brad was able to negotiate a great deal down to 120,000. When he got his $8,000 grant, Justin fulfilled another dream beyond homeownership… Harley ownership! His great deal on a home allowed him to get a home and the motorcycle of his dreams. He lived in his bachelor pad for five years until he met the girl of his dreams, and moved out to Chesterfield to start a family. When it was time to sell that Church Hill home… he listed and sold it for 350,000..
Back to the City
Many new families decide to move to the suburbs to raise families, but never get over leaving the city. When their kids pack up and head off the college, they find the pull even stronger. Living in the suburbs in larger, beautiful homes with well-tended yards and irrigation is great… but the idea of a more manageable square footage and a walkable, buzzing city life draws these folks. ...Dave and Tracy called us to set up a listing appointment at their home in the west end. They were very nostalgic about their adorable home on Pepper Ave, where they lived before buying their family home. We were fortunate to help them sell their West End home for top dollar, and went city-home shopping! They looked in Church Hill and Northside, but ultimately fell in love with a home right by Forest Hill Park. In the end, they got that city living dream back - blocks from restaurants, coffee shops, and one of the most beautiful parks in the area.
H.E.L.P.
Let’s introduce you to one of our H.E.L.P. (Home Equity Leverage Program) clients - let’s call them the Smiths. The Smiths purchased a home during the Recession - in 2012 - as a foreclosure… those were easy to come by in that time due to unethical and predatory lending practices. They moved in, and spent 10 years or so making lovely updates and building their family. When they decided they needed a larger home, they contacted Ruckart to list. ... While their home had some beautiful cosmetic touches, some of the deferred maintenance challenges were real and needed to be addressed prior to listing. The challenge: while they had a ton of equity in the home, they did not have a ton of cash to make the needed repairs before listing, and a home equity loan is not a good idea when you’re about to sell! This is where HELP steps in. Our listing team assessed what would make the most sense to fix and update, arranged contractors, paid for everything in advance, and made the home look its very best before we went to market. By the time picture day came around, the Smiths’ home was in top-notch condition… and it showed! They ended up receiving not just AN offer in the first weekend - but SIX. The winning offer not only bid up price to cover the cost of repairs and HELP fee, it also waived inspection AND appraisal. The Smiths were able to walk away with every bit of equity they had earned through great stewardship, and they never had to come out of pocket for the necessary repairs to put their home’s best foot forward.
"A" HOUSE TO
"THE" HOUSE
Justin was working in the restaurant business back in 2009 when Brad encouraged him to capitalize on 100% financing loans, $7,500 grants to cover cash-to-close and $8000 of government-issued credits to first time homebuyers.
He encouraged Sean to move into an up-and-coming area at the time - Church Hill. At that time, homes were being listed at $150,000 and Brad was able to negotiate a great deal down to 120,000.
When he got his $8,000 grant, Justin fulfilled another dream beyond homeownership… Harley ownership! His great deal on a home allowed him to get a home and the motorcycle of his dreams. He lived in his bachelor pad for five years until he met the girl of his dreams, and moved out to Chesterfield to start a family. When it was time to sell that Church Hill home… he listed and sold it for 350,000.
back to the city
Many new families decide to move to the suburbs to raise families, but never get over leaving the city. When their kids pack up and head off the college, they find the pull even stronger. Living in the suburbs in larger, beautiful homes with well-tended yards and irrigation is great… but the idea of a more manageable square footage and a walkable, buzzing city life draws these folks.
Dave and Tracy called us to set up a listing appointment at their home in the west end. They were very nostalgic about their adorable home on Pepper Ave, where they lived before buying their family home.
We were fortunate to help them sell their West End home for top dollar, and went city-home shopping! They looked in Church Hill and Northside, but ultimately fell in love with a home right by Forest Hill Park. In the end, they got that city living dream back - blocks from restaurants, coffee shops, and one of the most beautiful parks in the area.
FSBO
Often folks will list their homes on Zillow or even pay for an MLS placement service to try to cut out what they consider to be a “middle man” of real estate agents. One day, while scrolling through FSBOs (For Sale By Owner) on Zillow, we saw one of the most beautiful, quintessential Church Hill homes we’ve ever seen - located on Princess Anne Ave and overlooking Jefferson Park with a great view of the city.
Often folks will list their homes on Zillow or even pay for an MLS placement service to try to cut out what they consider to be a “middle man” of real estate agents. One day, while scrolling through FSBOs (For Sale By Owner) on Zillow, we saw one of the most beautiful, quintessential Church Hill homes we’ve ever seen - located on Princess Anne Ave and overlooking Jefferson Park with a great view of the city.
It had been on the market before, with an actual agent and didn’t sell - now the owners were trying to do it on their own. We met with them to tour the home, and talked about how we would do things differently if we listed it ourselves. They still wanted to try it on their own for a while, and also knew that they had some work to do to get the home looking its best. We offered up our favorite handymen because we truly wanted to help the home appeal to the greatest buyer pool possible, whether they listed with us or not.
After a while, the homeowner called us. He was doing a lot of background research on who we are and what we do - even asked around about our reputation. We are thankful to whomever gave that vote of confidence - because it allowed us to list and sell their home for top dollar. In the end, the home sold 19 days after we listed it, for $1,000,000.