More for Less!!! Save $50K at least!
It takes 25 minutes to get to the gate from highways, no congestion.
The entrance is hardwood with upgraded hardwood steps 1/3 of the way up with specialty spindles as well.
There is a spacious Great Room as you enter with a soaring ceiling, specialty textured walls, high end gas fireplace, and upgraded specialty plantation shutters with crown molding.
All of the windows of the home are upgraded white grid double hung windows. To keep the double hung feature we upgraded the shutters so that they have zero clearance and can be opened without being hindered by the shutters. The Shutters have a great crown molding and the slats are connected with an invisble bar.
The fireplace is a very unique and beautiful plaster material. It can be painted if you wish. We have left it the original color and placed a clear sealant over it.
The soaring ceiling leads to a feeling of grandness making the room really feel special.
The kitchen boasts staggered shaker style maple cabinets with crown molding. Stainless appliances offer an overall modern look.
A half bath is easily accessible to guests.
The laundry room connects the double garage to the main living space.
The main floor is finished off with a very good sized Master Bedroom and luxurious Master Bathroom with jetted tub, shower, sink and vanity.
Upstairs you will find 2 huge bedrooms and 1 that is average sized. The smaller 1 is perfect for a nursery or office. The other 2 could easily sleep 2 children in each. One of the big rooms has a very spacious closet that is about the size of the smallest bedroom. There is a common full bath and great loft area perfect for toys, a library or office space.
We finished off half of the basement with a TV room, toy room with shelves & drawers that could also be a great craft room, and an adjoining desk/office area. Included is another 1/2 bath. The rest of the basement offers plenty of space for storage.
The yard has beautiful gardens with a sprinkler system. The gardens are full of bulbs, bushes, trees and perennials and offer something beautiful all year round. It takes us 1-2 hours per month of upkeep during the summer and fall to keep it looking it's best. If you don’t have the time or interest in gardening, but appreciate it’s beauty, we can suggest a local gardener that has been helpful to us.
This is what the gardens looked like 2 summers ago.
We have added one more flower bed surrounding the prize cherry tree in the front since then.
The Smithton Schools have a great reputation and just purchased 40 acres south of town for a new school. They are increasing the offerings to the students and plan a preschool addition as well. Compare student:teacher and test scores to other areas you are considering: http://www.isbe.net/ Smithton also has a Catholic School.
Smithton has everything you need including a grocery store, a handful of small restaurants, post office, 2 gas stations, 2 daycares, a few specialty shops, a handful of hair places, ice cream shop, and numerous small businesses. There is also a great park! Obviously Smithton has that small town feel. If you leave for vacation, you can let the local police department know and they will regularly come and check on your home and and give you a call with any concerns. This doesn't happen in the other cities. The police are very responsive, and even were called when a turtle was on the street. We were just watching it to keep it safe and someone already called. They moved it to the river and saved it's life. The fire station is also right outside our subdivision in a beautiful new building.
We made a call to the St. Clair County Assessor's office and found the local 2008 property tax rates.
O'Fallon = 7.48770%
Shiloh = 6.37840%
Belleville = 7.94620%
Fairview Heights = 7.25880%
Swansea = Shiloh, Belleville or St. Clair Township depending on address. The St. Clair Township property tax is 6.59210%
Smithton = 6.95630%
If you compare what you are getting of your taxes, Smithton would come up on top.
We have done our research using zillow.com to aggressively price our home. We have strategically priced our home to get a contract quickly. We are flexible with the move in date, just let us know when your RNLTD is and we can work something out. Let's get our contracts signed and plan for your move.
