M & J Fitzgerald

08/07/2026

Must have accessory for a house is…a pencil sharpener! 😊

The first 3 houses today had a pencil sharpener. Our client said if the next home does, we should buy a lottery ticket. The next one did not 😔😆

08/05/2026

House Hunting Finds
Love the wallpaper in this house! Also the fancy hidden door and under cabinet spice rack.

07/31/2026

The average dryer lasts 9 years. The average dryer with a clean vent lasts closer to 18.

The lint trap is not the issue. The dryer vent is. The flexible hose that runs from the back of your dryer through the wall and out to the side of the house. The one you have never looked at. The one that has been quietly clogging for years.

When that vent is full of lint, your dryer works twice as hard to push hot air through it. The motor runs longer. The heating element runs hotter. Every load is straining a machine that should be coasting. That strain is what kills dryers years before they should die.

The signs are everywhere and most people ignore them. Clothes that take two cycles to dry. A dryer hot to the touch. A laundry room that feels muggy after a load. A vent flap outside that does not fully open when the dryer is on.

Here is the fix. Once a year, pull the dryer away from the wall, disconnect the vent hose, and clean it out. Vacuum the hose, the back of the dryer, and the wall outlet. Outside, clear the vent flap of lint, leaves, or nests. If your vent runs more than 10 feet or has multiple turns, hire someone to do a full cleaning every two to three years. A 30-minute task once a year. 9 extra years on a $1,200 appliance. That is the math.

When was the last time you cleaned your dryer vent? Drop it in the comments.

07/30/2026

🏡 Can You Help Our Investor Clients Find Their Next Rental Property? 🏡

We're working with investors who are actively looking to purchase their next rental property, and we're hoping our community can help!

If you've been thinking about selling—or know someone who has—it could be a great opportunity.

🔎 They're looking for:
✅ Single-family home
✅ 3+ bedrooms
✅ 2+ bathrooms
✅ 2 car garage
✅ Fenced yard
✅ Not located in a flood plain
✅ Approximately 30 years old or newer
✅ No HOA or low cost HOA
💲 Up to $320,000

📍 Preferred locations:
• Washington
• Union
• Pacific
• Eureka
• Or anywhere within approximately a 40-minute drive of Labadie

💡 A bonus for sellers: These buyers are purchasing with 1031 Exchange funds, meaning the funds are already committed to the purchase. The 1031 Exchange process is handled behind the scenes by a Qualified Intermediary, so there is no additional cost or delay for the seller.

If you have a home that may be a good fit—or know someone who does—we'd love to connect!

📩 Send us a message or give us a call:

📱 Mike: 314-249-6730
📱 Jen: 314-495-9597

Please like, comment, and share this post. Your share could help us find the perfect property!

07/29/2026

The renovations on every "boost your home value" list are the ones with the worst returns in 2026.

Leased solar. Sport courts. Wallpaper. Whole-home audio. High-end appliances in mid-priced homes. Custom closets. Garage conversions. All of them feel like upgrades. All of them are costing sellers money at closing.

The renovations actually returning their cost right now are the ones nobody brags about. The new roof. The updated HVAC. The replaced windows. The fresh insulation. The neutral paint. Buyers do not photograph these. They do walk into the house, see them, and stop looking for problems.

If you are planning a renovation before you list, run the spend through the buyer's eyes, not your own. The wrong project does not just fail to pay off. It actively shrinks the offers you receive.

DM me before you spend a dollar. I will come walk through your home and help you make the best decision for your family and your finances.

07/28/2026

07/27/2026

The flashy rental property is not the one making money in 2026.

The boring single-family home in a growing suburb, rented to a long-term tenant on a 2-year lease, is the asset that is quietly outperforming every short-term rental on the market right now.

$150 a month in cash flow. $400 a month in equity built by the tenant. 4 percent appreciation on the full property value every year. No cleaning crews. No platform risk. No 11pm phone calls.

The investors who got burned on Airbnb in 2024 and 2025 moved their money into properties exactly like this. The numbers per month are not exciting. The numbers over 10 years are dramatically better.

If you have been thinking about buying a rental, the question is not "will this make a lot of money fast." The question is "will this still be a good investment in 10 years no matter what happens to the market." DM me when you are ready to talk about your first rental.

07/24/2026

You walk into a home and it just feels different. Calmer. More intentional. Like someone actually thought about it.

Nine times out of ten, it is the lighting.

The houses that feel expensive are layered. Overhead light for the room. A lamp on the side table. A floor lamp in the corner. A small light on the kitchen counter at night. Three or four sources at different heights, all warm tone, all on dimmers when possible.

The houses that feel cold and rental-grade have one thing in common. A single overhead fixture buzzing in the middle of the ceiling and nothing else. It flattens everything. It casts shadows in all the wrong places. It is the reason your living room looks like a doctor's office at 7pm.

You do not need a renovation to fix it. You need lamps. Plural.

Pick one room in your house and add a second light source this week. Watch what happens.

07/22/2026

07/20/2026

The list of home improvements that "add value" is mostly written by people trying to sell you the improvement.

Pools, sunrooms, finished basements, custom built-ins, high-end kitchen renovations in mid priced neighborhoods. All of them feel like they are making your home worth more. Most of them are not.

The upgrades that actually return at closing are the unsexy ones. A new roof. An updated HVAC system. Fresh neutral paint. A clean inspection report. Boring, expensive, and the reason your home sells in 9 days instead of 90.

If you are getting ready to list, the conversation worth having is about what to spend money on and what to leave alone. The wrong upgrade does not just fail to pay off. It eats into your bottom line at closing.

What is the most expensive thing you did to your house that did not pay off? Drop it in the comments.