314-726-3174
cheryl@johnsonrealtyofstlouis.com
cheryl@johnsonrealtyofstlouis.com
| Cheryl Johnson's St. Louis & Metro East Real Estate Blog |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Click Here to View My Blog's Past Entries |
February 1, 2008
Cheryl Johnson and Johnson Realty on the Cover of the St. Louis Business Journal
Just some facts before you read this article. Everyone who knows me
knows I love statistics. The numbers don't lie.
Cheryl Johnson of Johnson Realty
*101 Listings Sold in 2007
*95.29% (Actual Sale Price versus Listing Price)
*76.82 Average Days on Market
Gillian Noero of Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty
*9 Listings Sold in 2007
*90.60% (Actual Sale Price versus Listing Price)
*100.5 Average Days on Market
* Source MARIS (Mid America Regional Information Systems
administers the Multiple Listing Service for the St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin County
Associations and the East Central Board of Realtors.)
Not only do our listings sell FASTER, but they sell for MORE! AND- that doesn't include the nearly
$1,000,000 in commissions (based off of a 6% commission) we have saved our clients.
Friday, February 1, 2008
St. Louis real estate agents compete on fees, levels of service
St. Louis Business Journal - by Matt Berkley
Cheryl Johnson charges a flat fee of $500 for MLS listings, plus .34 percent commission at closing.
Cheryl Johnson has no problem confessing what she sees as one of her profession's dirtiest little
secrets: "If a real estate agent really knows what they're doing, they don't need to charge as much,
because what we do truly isn't that much work."
Johnson, broker and owner of Town & Country-based Johnson Realty, is one of the new breed of real
estate agents who has chosen to abandon the industry standard of charging 6 percent commission
fees. The standard fee is a practice some agents and consumers feel has become antiquated due to
ever-increasing technology and access to information.
Fueling the fire against conventional agents are Web site operators such as For Sale By Owner, Help-
U-Sell Real Estate and Redfin, which offer a variety of services a la carte, with flat-fee MLS (multiple
listing service) listings starting as low as $49.50. Lynn Wagner, flat-fee specialist for soldbyme.com,
has seen the local do-it-yourself market rise dramatically in the past two years.
Although flat-fee-service companies still make up only about 2 percent of the St. Louis market,
according to Wagner, they have grown to more than triple that in larger metropolitan areas. A 2007
National Association of Realtors profile of home buyers and sellers showed that 81 percent of sellers
use full-service brokerages, 9 percent choose limited services and 9 percent use minimal services,
such as simply listing a property on an MLS.
"Real estate agents are more of a support team now," Wagner said. "In the St. Louis area, people are
more educated and don't need help with the paperwork. Those are the people going towards the flat
fee."
With offices in Westport, St. Charles and Chesterfield, Soldbyme offers a basic flat-fee MLS listing of
$399, listing around 200 St. Louis clients at any given time. Although companies like hers do offer
counsel, Wagner said all the basic work -- inspections, open houses, negotiations -- falls entirely on
the homeowner.
On average, Johnson of Johnson Realty spends only about four hours total for filing, listing, contract
negotiation and bringing a home to close. "That's no different than what any other agent would spend,
but a lot will try to make the process seem so hard because they have to justify a high price," she
said. Rather than indulge in her share of the commission, which she said still bounces around 6
percent in the St. Louis market, Johnson charges a flat fee of $500 for MLS listings, plus 0.34 percent
commission at closing. In 2007, her second year in St. Louis, Johnson sold 101 homes.
According to Johnson, it's important to draw the distinction between full-service firms and full-
commission firms. She offers comprehensive services, but she said the title "discount company"
infers certain limitations.
Bob Mitchell, president of Florissant-based ValueList Real Estate Services Inc., St. Louis' largest
discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company, quickly dismisses any notion of limited
services.
"The only thing we generally won't do is newspaper advertising; it's ungodly expensive and it just
doesn't work," Mitchell said. Instead, Mitchell has found better results for his clients through heavy
online exposure.
ValueList, founded by Mitchell in 1994, charges a flat fee for the listing, with bracketed prices from
around $1,500 for a $100,000 home, up to $2,500 for a $250,000 home and so on.
Mitchell said that in the event that another agency brings in the buyer, all the client has to pay is
ValueList's flat fee plus what would normally be the buyer's agent's commission, generally between
2.7 percent and 3.15 percent. Add those two charges and compare them to a normal 6 percent
commission, Mitchell said, and consumers could see savings anywhere from 35 percent to 85
percent.
Gillian Noero, an associate with Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty in Clayton, believes it's a
myth that traditional real estate agents hold a vendetta against discount brokers. "A lot of discount
brokers feel that way because their listings don't get shown," she said. "They aren't shown because
the person isn't paying them enough to get it marketed.
"As far as I can tell, a discount broker doesn't give an opinion of price," Noero said. "Some of their
listings are overpriced by $60,000 to $70,000, and that's also why they aren't selling."
Mitchell said the flat-fee MLS firms, or "no-services companies" as he put it, experience more
prejudice than discount companies like his. Although homes listed as "for sale by owner" aren't
entirely dismissed by agents, Mitchell said those homes rarely are a priority for them when they show
homes. Similarly, agents are likely to move listings that pay 2.7 percent up their list at the expense of
discounters who offer 2.25 percent, he said.
John Williams, president of the St. Louis Association of Realtors, is quick to recognize the impact of
the Internet and how it has empowered consumers. He's also adamant that despite any criticism, full-
service agents will always serve a critical purpose.
"Our service value is on-the-ground knowledge," Williams said. "It's one thing to read about how you
can buy a house, but it's another thing to know how to buy a house on a certain street. Information is
everywhere now, but there will always be an agent or someone in a position to interpret that data."
In order to compete with the do-it-yourself market, Noero believes agents need to continue to work on
adding service value for buyers and sellers.
"If you can give them good information and be thorough and diligent, you become more than just
something that just gets printed off the Internet," she said. "But if you're a human version of an Internet
printout, then why would anybody bother to think you have any value?"
Matt Berkley is a St. Louis freelance writer.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________________________________________
December 2, 2007
Riding the Storm: Finding Autism Assistance in Saint Louis
A deep apology to my loyal readers for my neglect of my blog. Below will be an explanation of
why I have not been taking the time to write. However, I can say through all the madness, the
only real comfort I have had has been real estate. So if you were wondering if your contracts
were in danger, not to worry- I have had nothing by my finest moments in the last 2 months as
real estate has been the greatest and truest oasis in this crazy journey. :)
“P. Then the O. Then the P. Then P. Y. What’s that spell? Poppy,” my two year old son Connor said
as my sister punches letters Connor's pet name for his grandfather through the three dimensional
impression exhibit at The Magic House. Other parents are around and ask me first, how old my son
is and secondly, if he is a genius. One mom turned to her 5-year-old and asked her when she was
going to learn to spell her own name. The child turned to her and said something cute and they
laughed.
And there’s the kicker. My son can spell. He’s two. But my son doesn’t laugh at a joke with me and
he can’t tell me exactly what’s wrong with him when he’s sad, mad or hurting. My son was diagnosed
as a high functioning child low on the autism spectrum.
To be honest, I never noticed there was anything different about Connor. He was always very smart,
overly athletic (he can swim unassisted) and was really never much of a talker. I have always heard
that boys talk later so when Connor’s pediatrician gave me a referral to a speech therapist at St. John’
s neither of us- my husband and I nor my pediatrician and I were very concerned.
After our first speech therapy evaluation, they placed Connor with enough of a speech delay to have
him tested by a neurologist for a screening. It was very difficult to get into the neurologist that St. John’
s had recommended so I called Washington University’s Neurology Department and they
recommended a neurologist who practiced at St. Luke’s. I scheduled the appointment right away and
was able to get an appointment just hours before we were to get on a plane for our first vacation to
Walt Disney World.
The day of Connor’s neurology appointment was very hectic. Between adding the final touches of
packing a two-year-old and the looming tension of his doctor’s visit both my husband and I were
running around in circles. We arrived at the doctor’s office at St. Luke’s and Connor played in the
waiting area.
Only a short time later, the doctor called us in his office. Connor went straight for the doctor’s toys
and we sat down. He asked us several questions and watched Connor play. After about 45 minutes
of us answering questions and giving Connor a physical exam he gave us his diagnosis.
“Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome with a ‘touch of Hyperlexia’.” My husband later told me his heart sank
to the pit of his stomach. I was completely neutral and took the diagnosis in stride. I wanted to know
as much as I possibly could in the most scientific terminology as possible. When I get stressed, I
want nothing but the facts.
We pelted him with a barrage of questions and he basically summed up his decision in the following
way. Dr. St. Luke’s opinion follows: Connor is low on the autism spectrum. He has a “part” of
autism called Asperger’s Syndrome which means he may or may not go to regular school, have a
job, get married etc. Asperger’s kids have a delay in social interaction and non verbal
communication. He also has Hyperlexia which is best described as the opposite of dyslexia. He
sees numbers letters, shapes and symbols in super time and can understand their placement and
position very clearly. He can read limited words, spell almost anything, knows his numbers, shapes
and colors using rote memorization.
Dr. St. Luke’s gave us some papers. He recommended us to some specialists and Missouri’s First
Steps program and sent us on our way. I felt we walked into his office with Connor and walked out
with an Asperger’s kid.
After his appointment we jumped on the plane and headed to Disney. I really lost it on the plane. I
cried and cried in the way that made people around me cry, too. Throughout the entire trip I think I
cried in as many places as Sam tried to get his friend to eat Green Eggs and Ham- and at Disney,
that's easy to do. I really couldn’t make sense of it and really my only question was, “What is going to
happen to Connor?”
So I researched. And searched. And searched. And Mike did that same. We looked at all of the sites
from parents with kids with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and Connor didn’t fit the bill. He was very
athletic. AS kids are mostly clumsy. He looked us and strangers in the eye. AS kids don’t usually do
this. I think the most important thing is that in our gut- we truly felt his diagnosis was wrong.
We proceeded to try to obtain therapies, diets and programs for him as though he had AS because
we knew our window of most effectiveness is during early, early childhood. So no matter name was
given to what he had, we were going to take that diagnosis and run with it.
Thankfully, St. Louis has a lot of great resources for children on the spectrum. Because Connor is
under 3-years-old, he is eligible for First Steps which is state run intervention program for children
with special needs. We began his assessment process with an interview by an intake specialist
which is another name for a project coordinator. She recommended we have Connor meet with a
speech, occupational (which we found out isn’t for people looking for jobs) and developmental
therapist. We made appointments for all three which put us on the way into the First Steps program.
We still weren’t happy with Connor’s diagnosis so we FINALLY after some marathon calling and
family influences, got into the most highly recommended pediatric neurologist, Dr. John Mantovani at
St. John’s. I filled out the eight page questionnaire which covered everything from what he ate to both
of our family medical histories. We hand delivered it to the doctor’s office weeks in advance and
eagerly waited for his October 31st appointment.
Halloween came with the speed of a snail- but it finally came. Again, we got into the doctor’s office
very quickly. Dr. Mantovani talked to us and observed and interacted with Connor. He smiled with
Connor and even scolded him to see if his reactions fell into the medically accepted range of normal.
The end of the appointment was nearing, Mike and I were anxiously waiting for his diagnosis. In
short, he told us he felt diagnosing any child under the age of 5 with Asperger’s Syndrome was not
responsible since children change and develop so much during that time.
He diagnosed Connor with Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
So I don’t make this go longer than it already has become here is a link to a great explanation of what
that means scientifically. Click here for PDD-NOS. In a nutshell, it means that Connor has some
characteristics of autism, but not enough to diagnose him with that disorder. He did confirm Dr. St.
Luke’s diagnosis of hyperlexia, however. Which didn’t surprise me because, let’s face it- my two-year-
old reads.
We asked Dr. Mantovani the most important question to us which was, “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
TO CONNOR?” Dr. Mantovani looked at us and said the very scientific. “I don’t know.” He told us he
couldn’t tell that of any child. But he did say that he knew more about this (autism) than anyone else
in St. Louis and that from what he saw of Connor, his prognosis was very, very good. He
recommended Connor have at least 12-20 hours per week of intense speech, developmental and
occupational therapy and to check back with him in 6 months.
He also recommended we attend the Judevine Center for Autism’s 3-week parent class (click here
for a video of the parenting class) which was also recommended by our pediatrician and my Internet
research. This course is extremely intense and covers 120 hours of therapist and parent led therapy.
It’s a how-to of helping your individual child overcome and cope with their shortcomings- no matter
how small or major they may be.
That’s our next step. We have gotten all of Connor’s First Steps therapists and his Pre-school
teachers at Ladue Chapel in place and they will be joining us at Judevine to view Connor and help
learn how to help him best and incorporate his new skills into his schooling and daily life.
I can say I am so lucky that we live in St. Louis because it has some of the world’s best autism
resources. I would also like to strongly urge all parents-especially the mothers because our sixth
sense in incredible and undeniable- to get their children screened for autism at 18 months and 24
months. And if your gut feeling isn’t satisfied then don’t stop. Get them checked by someone else.
Another great reason to get checked early is that if an autism diagnosis does come to fruition for your
child before the age of 3, there are a lot of free or low cost therapies that are available to you through
the First Steps Program and over age 3 through your school district.
If you are a parent who is struggling with where to live because of your child's diagnosis of autism I
would greatly appreciate helping you and your family using my own personal experiences with the
programs that are in place, both private and public in St. Louis. Email me in confidence at
cheryl@johnsonstl.com
I would like to highly stress that Autism, no matter how mild or severe is a disorder of privilege.
Pediatric doctors, neurologists, private therapy, special diets and even the Judevine Center for
Autism all take money- and a lot of it. This Christmas or holiday season, please find it in your
hearts to donate money to assisting families who are dealing with this stressful disorder. You
can donate money directly to the Judevine Center for Autism at www.judevine.org or work for a
cure through Cure Autism Now at www.can.org.
_______________________________________________________________________________
October 26, 2007
KSDK Channel 5 Features Johnson Realty as Its Cover Story
St. Louis’ NBC affiliate KSDK featured Johnson Realty’s Broker and Owner, Cheryl Johnson for its
cover story tonight. Johnson Realty’s dedication to providing “green” services for its clients is getting
recognition as the media is featuring more local businesses who are dedicated to improving the lives
of St. Louisians and Metro East residents everywhere. See below for the text story and click our link at
the bottom of this entry for the featured segment or by clicking here.
Courtesy of KSDK
The trend of "going green," isn't just for homeowners anymore. Now more and more business are
changing colors too. All across the world, companies of all sizes are finding it's to their benefit to
develop and invest in eco-friendly technologies and practices.
These same companies, that may have rejected such calls to aid the environment 10 years ago
because of the cost, are now finding that "going green" isn't just good for nature, it's also good for the
bottom line.
Such examples can be found all around St. Louis, you just have to know what you're looking at to
recognize the "green."
On the campus of the University of Missouri at St. Louis, workers from Hansen's Tree Service are
bringing in their heavy equipment to begin their day's work. The school has contracted them to
remove a small wooded area just north of campus. The land needs to be cleared of all trees, to make
way for a new development scheduled for early next year.
At first glance, the total destruction of a small forest does not look to be a very green practice. The
workers with their bulldozers, chain saws and cranes are making quick work of knocking and cutting
down the trees. In less then 2 hours, crews have successfully erased what took decades for mother
nature to grow.
But as the saws hum through 3 foot thick tree trucks and the claws of a 10 ton excavator effortlessly
scoop up the debris, neatly depositing it into the roaring blades of the tub grinder, the "whatever
makes this a green project" is hard to find. But if one looks closely it's there. It really is.
"Most people look at it as a waste. But it's not a waste, it's a product." These words come from Cliff
Metcalf, Director of Environmental Operations. It's his job to convince us that what we're seeing, trees
being uprooted, cut in half, bulldozed, and eventually grinded is really good for our planet.
"We're take that material and put it back into marketable products." The product Metcalf is referring to
is his companies new mulch products. The wood that is grinded up is then deposited into trucks and
hauled back to Hansen's facility in O'Fallon, Missouri, where it processed, treated and allowed to
cook. In the end, the remnants of the trees become landscaping mulch.
"We deal with environmental products and you think of it as a product. In the past this wood would
have been sent to a landfill. People weren't aggressively turning it into a product and thinking of it as a
waste. You have to think differently. It's not a waste. You look at items like this as a by product. You
take that byproduct and turn it into a product and we just have the fortunate that the product we make
can go right back into the environment," said Metcalf.
Hansen's believes what they're doing is makes good sense not only for the earth, but for their
business. The mulch they create is now a new source of revenue. "It's just good business sense,"
said Metcalf.
With the housing market declining all across the country, selling a house has never been harder.
Traditional methods called for the placement of cardboard signs along with a box full of paper flyers
listing all the information a potential homebuyer might need. And while a tranquil sign, in front of
house for sale, might not represent a full scale attack on the environment. It's really not the "green"
way to go.
"We decided to get rid of the flyers," said Cheryl Johnson, president of Johnson Realty, a real estate
brokerage firm in St. Louis. "They get wet, they get taken by the neighbors who aren't necessarily your
buyers and what we decided to do was us a permanent 24 hour information sign that still gives
reliable consistent information to the buyer without sacrificing the paper and energy consumption
used with constantly refilling the flier box."
Johnson's "For Sale" sign lists the phone number, any homeseeker can call. A recording gives out all
the relevant information. "Because they're all color copies, so we're saving about $150.00 per listing
per the life of the listing just on the fliers alone," said Johnson.
But, Johnson wasn't done with her efforts to transform her company into a "green" one. "We've also
decided to use a hybrid car so we've reduced our gas consumption by 50 percent without sacrificing
the comfort of our clients. All of our contracts and our paperwork are sent by email via pdf. We only
print out our contracts for our permanent record and we're actually converting our permanent records
into pdf. forms So that we virtually have a paperless office."
Johnson says she believes today's homebuyers are savvy and environmentally conscious. She
hopes her company's efforts will eventually help lure more customers once they learn they are
practicing green principles.
St. Louis Metalwork's Company, for years, has installed metal roofs on hundreds of buildings across
St. Louis and the Midwest. But when company president Kelly Luckett, began hearing about green
roofs, he knew his company needed to change, or be left behind.
So, Luckett, looking for unique approach to the existing market of green roofs, developed his own
idea and patented the concept for "Green Roof" blocks and packs.
"They're self contained, each holds soil and plants. We arrange them on the roof to restore the
greenspace that was sacrificed by the building footprint," said Luckett. Luckett believes his industry
was changing. He thinks his invention will position his company to take advantage of the market and
the public's change toward environmentalism, "and to profit from good stewardship of the planet
rather then at the expense of it."
Luckett claims his "Green Roof Blocks" help restore the green space that was sacrificed by the
building footprint. "Green building is all about taking care of the planet. The most fundamental tenant
of that is the green space on the planet, so when you scrape the greenspace off to build a building or
to build a road then we lose all the things that the plants do for us," said Luckett.
By placing the plants back up on the roof tops, Luckett's blocks help the building provide the
environment with storm water management and the oxygen generation. "We're helping to cool the
building, we're reducing the heat load on the building, so its taking less energy, it's creating less
greenhouse gas emissions to heat and cool the building. It's basically restoring the planet, just the
way it was before we started disturbing it."
These three businesses are just examples of this trend of industry gone green. Experts say, in the
not-too-distant future, consumers can expect companies to not only market their products and
services, but the "green" steps taken to get those products and services to market.
Click here to see the piece which ran on the 10 o’clock news.
_______________________________________________________________________________
September 8, 2007
The Importance of Being Earnest
Earnest Money. What is it? Why should you be concerned about it? How does it affect you once you
have a contract? Most importantly, how does it affect you if your contract falls apart?
Earnest money is best defined in the way that your real estate contract defines it which is a deposit
paid by a buyer to a seller to demonstrate an intention to complete the purchase.
What does it matter to you, the seller? It matters because the more the earnest money is worth the
more teeth the contract has. A buyer telling you she’s willing to lose $5000 in earnest money if she
doesn’t perform on the contract that has more weight than if she only is willing to lose $500.
If you are the seller, the more earnest money you can get- the better. If you are the purchaser- you
want to minimize your risk and offer as low of earnest money as the seller will let you get away with.
Most importantly, how does the earnest money affect you if your contract falls apart? This part is
crucial because most sellers never pay attention to what the earnest money amount is and neither do
their agents until it's too late.
If the buyer, BEFORE their contractual deadlines end, cancels the contract due to any clause listed in
the contract or the Seller fails to satisfactorily perform on their contractual obligations then the buyers
are normally due a full refund of their earnest money minus any of their expenses like inspectors or
appraisals.
If the buyer fails to perform on the contract and the seller has satisfactorily completed all of their
contractual obligations then the seller AND the seller’s broker are normally entitled to the earnest
money usually split 50/50. So, if you have accepted $500 for earnest money, the closing is 60 days
out, and the buyer fails to close, you could receive $250 for your lost marketing time and towards your
lost mortgage payments.
There are several more legal scenarios directing the collection and distribution of earnest money, but
those situation are best dealt with on a case by case basis and should be explained by a contract law
attorney who can give you options pertaining to a particular contract.
The best way to figure out what kind of earnest money you should be asking for is to review the merits
of the contract, coupled with the buyer's financing and their closing date. Johnson Realty normally
recommends our sellers accept around 1% or more of their asking price for earnest money but each
contract is individual so using your gut and best judgement is always in order.
It is important to know that most buyers are earnest with their earnest money and have sincere
intentions of closing on the home they have contracted to purchase. Earnest money is rarely
collected or refunded because the buyer and seller normally complete the deal.
For more information on how earnest money affects your contract, contact Cheryl Johnson at
Cheryl@johnsonstl.com or Cheryl@johnsonmetroeast.com. If you need legal advise, please contact
me and I will be happy to refer a legal council to you.
_______________________________________________________________________________
August 31, 2007
No. 87 TRG/ Johnson Realty Chevrolet Finishes 7th at Gateway ARCA 150
Granite City, IL- Andy Lally, driver of the No. 87 TRG/ Johnson Realty Chevrolet finished 7th in a three
wide dash to the checker at the ARCA Re/MAX Series Gateway ARCA 150. This race was Lally's 2nd
top ten finish in as many races since beginning the series late this season.
Lally, a multi-winning Grand-Am Champion, Rolex 24 at Daytona class winner and NASCAR Busch
Series road racing expert is competing in the ARCA series to increase his stock car experience and
qualify for a full NASCAR license.
"When you want to race NASCAR, you don't just go to the DMV and get a license," jokes Lally. "You
have to prove yourself on every type of track that NASCAR races in a stock car. The ARCA Series is a
perfect match for our team's goals because the cars we run are actually last year's NASCAR Nextel
Cup cars and the tracks they race on mostly host NASCAR events. Doing well in these races makes
a good impression in NASCAR's licensing department."
Lally proved skill and patience in the 120-lap race marred with attrition and a red flag stop due to a
serious crash on the back straight. Starting 21st, Lally was able to remain clear of most contact and
maneuvered through several caution periods cruising to a 4th position high. After getting hit entering
turn one near the end of the race, Lally was able to save the car from colliding with the wall. Though
losing a few positions, he managed to avoid any further trouble while fighting three wide toward the
checker where he bested his first ARCA finish by three positions, ending in 7th.
"We were so happy to be a part of Andy's race here in St. Louis," said Cheryl Johnson, owner and
broker of Johnson Realty. "We invited some of our friends and family to come watch the No. 87 TRG/
Johnson Realty Chevrolet race. Our friends who couldn't make the race even texted us to cheer the
TRG team on. Every time we saw the Johnson Realty logo pass us in the stands we were proud of
Andy and the entire TRG team and what they have accomplished. It was very exciting."
Currently, Lally has been approved for road races and 1.25 mile ovals and is racing at Chicagoland
Speedway next week to attempt to obtain approval for 1.5 mile courses. TRG's next ARCA race will
be on September 8 in Joliet, Illinois. They will also be fighting for the Grand-Am GT championship
where they are in 2nd place at the Sunchaser 1000 at Miller Motorsport Park in Tooele, Utah on
September 15th.
###
Mike Johnson, Owner and Agent of Johnson Realty and Andy Lally have raced with or against
each other for the last 12 years. Mike, as Andy's team owner or Team Manager have won 2
Grand-Am Championships, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and several races. Andy was the best man at
our wedding and is more than a teammate and fellow competitor, but also a dear friend.
***Special thanks to Andy Lally and The Racers Group (TRG) for a very fun weekend and their
generous hospitality.
Cheryl Johnson and Johnson Realty on the Cover of the St. Louis Business Journal
Just some facts before you read this article. Everyone who knows me
knows I love statistics. The numbers don't lie.
Cheryl Johnson of Johnson Realty
*101 Listings Sold in 2007
*95.29% (Actual Sale Price versus Listing Price)
*76.82 Average Days on Market
Gillian Noero of Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty
*9 Listings Sold in 2007
*90.60% (Actual Sale Price versus Listing Price)
*100.5 Average Days on Market
* Source MARIS (Mid America Regional Information Systems
administers the Multiple Listing Service for the St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin County
Associations and the East Central Board of Realtors.)
Not only do our listings sell FASTER, but they sell for MORE! AND- that doesn't include the nearly
$1,000,000 in commissions (based off of a 6% commission) we have saved our clients.
Friday, February 1, 2008
St. Louis real estate agents compete on fees, levels of service
St. Louis Business Journal - by Matt Berkley
Cheryl Johnson charges a flat fee of $500 for MLS listings, plus .34 percent commission at closing.
Cheryl Johnson has no problem confessing what she sees as one of her profession's dirtiest little
secrets: "If a real estate agent really knows what they're doing, they don't need to charge as much,
because what we do truly isn't that much work."
Johnson, broker and owner of Town & Country-based Johnson Realty, is one of the new breed of real
estate agents who has chosen to abandon the industry standard of charging 6 percent commission
fees. The standard fee is a practice some agents and consumers feel has become antiquated due to
ever-increasing technology and access to information.
Fueling the fire against conventional agents are Web site operators such as For Sale By Owner, Help-
U-Sell Real Estate and Redfin, which offer a variety of services a la carte, with flat-fee MLS (multiple
listing service) listings starting as low as $49.50. Lynn Wagner, flat-fee specialist for soldbyme.com,
has seen the local do-it-yourself market rise dramatically in the past two years.
Although flat-fee-service companies still make up only about 2 percent of the St. Louis market,
according to Wagner, they have grown to more than triple that in larger metropolitan areas. A 2007
National Association of Realtors profile of home buyers and sellers showed that 81 percent of sellers
use full-service brokerages, 9 percent choose limited services and 9 percent use minimal services,
such as simply listing a property on an MLS.
"Real estate agents are more of a support team now," Wagner said. "In the St. Louis area, people are
more educated and don't need help with the paperwork. Those are the people going towards the flat
fee."
With offices in Westport, St. Charles and Chesterfield, Soldbyme offers a basic flat-fee MLS listing of
$399, listing around 200 St. Louis clients at any given time. Although companies like hers do offer
counsel, Wagner said all the basic work -- inspections, open houses, negotiations -- falls entirely on
the homeowner.
On average, Johnson of Johnson Realty spends only about four hours total for filing, listing, contract
negotiation and bringing a home to close. "That's no different than what any other agent would spend,
but a lot will try to make the process seem so hard because they have to justify a high price," she
said. Rather than indulge in her share of the commission, which she said still bounces around 6
percent in the St. Louis market, Johnson charges a flat fee of $500 for MLS listings, plus 0.34 percent
commission at closing. In 2007, her second year in St. Louis, Johnson sold 101 homes.
According to Johnson, it's important to draw the distinction between full-service firms and full-
commission firms. She offers comprehensive services, but she said the title "discount company"
infers certain limitations.
Bob Mitchell, president of Florissant-based ValueList Real Estate Services Inc., St. Louis' largest
discount/full-service real estate and mortgage company, quickly dismisses any notion of limited
services.
"The only thing we generally won't do is newspaper advertising; it's ungodly expensive and it just
doesn't work," Mitchell said. Instead, Mitchell has found better results for his clients through heavy
online exposure.
ValueList, founded by Mitchell in 1994, charges a flat fee for the listing, with bracketed prices from
around $1,500 for a $100,000 home, up to $2,500 for a $250,000 home and so on.
Mitchell said that in the event that another agency brings in the buyer, all the client has to pay is
ValueList's flat fee plus what would normally be the buyer's agent's commission, generally between
2.7 percent and 3.15 percent. Add those two charges and compare them to a normal 6 percent
commission, Mitchell said, and consumers could see savings anywhere from 35 percent to 85
percent.
Gillian Noero, an associate with Dielmann Sotheby's International Realty in Clayton, believes it's a
myth that traditional real estate agents hold a vendetta against discount brokers. "A lot of discount
brokers feel that way because their listings don't get shown," she said. "They aren't shown because
the person isn't paying them enough to get it marketed.
"As far as I can tell, a discount broker doesn't give an opinion of price," Noero said. "Some of their
listings are overpriced by $60,000 to $70,000, and that's also why they aren't selling."
Mitchell said the flat-fee MLS firms, or "no-services companies" as he put it, experience more
prejudice than discount companies like his. Although homes listed as "for sale by owner" aren't
entirely dismissed by agents, Mitchell said those homes rarely are a priority for them when they show
homes. Similarly, agents are likely to move listings that pay 2.7 percent up their list at the expense of
discounters who offer 2.25 percent, he said.
John Williams, president of the St. Louis Association of Realtors, is quick to recognize the impact of
the Internet and how it has empowered consumers. He's also adamant that despite any criticism, full-
service agents will always serve a critical purpose.
"Our service value is on-the-ground knowledge," Williams said. "It's one thing to read about how you
can buy a house, but it's another thing to know how to buy a house on a certain street. Information is
everywhere now, but there will always be an agent or someone in a position to interpret that data."
In order to compete with the do-it-yourself market, Noero believes agents need to continue to work on
adding service value for buyers and sellers.
"If you can give them good information and be thorough and diligent, you become more than just
something that just gets printed off the Internet," she said. "But if you're a human version of an Internet
printout, then why would anybody bother to think you have any value?"
Matt Berkley is a St. Louis freelance writer.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
_______________________________________________________________________________
December 2, 2007
Riding the Storm: Finding Autism Assistance in Saint Louis
A deep apology to my loyal readers for my neglect of my blog. Below will be an explanation of
why I have not been taking the time to write. However, I can say through all the madness, the
only real comfort I have had has been real estate. So if you were wondering if your contracts
were in danger, not to worry- I have had nothing by my finest moments in the last 2 months as
real estate has been the greatest and truest oasis in this crazy journey. :)
“P. Then the O. Then the P. Then P. Y. What’s that spell? Poppy,” my two year old son Connor said
as my sister punches letters Connor's pet name for his grandfather through the three dimensional
impression exhibit at The Magic House. Other parents are around and ask me first, how old my son
is and secondly, if he is a genius. One mom turned to her 5-year-old and asked her when she was
going to learn to spell her own name. The child turned to her and said something cute and they
laughed.
And there’s the kicker. My son can spell. He’s two. But my son doesn’t laugh at a joke with me and
he can’t tell me exactly what’s wrong with him when he’s sad, mad or hurting. My son was diagnosed
as a high functioning child low on the autism spectrum.
To be honest, I never noticed there was anything different about Connor. He was always very smart,
overly athletic (he can swim unassisted) and was really never much of a talker. I have always heard
that boys talk later so when Connor’s pediatrician gave me a referral to a speech therapist at St. John’
s neither of us- my husband and I nor my pediatrician and I were very concerned.
After our first speech therapy evaluation, they placed Connor with enough of a speech delay to have
him tested by a neurologist for a screening. It was very difficult to get into the neurologist that St. John’
s had recommended so I called Washington University’s Neurology Department and they
recommended a neurologist who practiced at St. Luke’s. I scheduled the appointment right away and
was able to get an appointment just hours before we were to get on a plane for our first vacation to
Walt Disney World.
The day of Connor’s neurology appointment was very hectic. Between adding the final touches of
packing a two-year-old and the looming tension of his doctor’s visit both my husband and I were
running around in circles. We arrived at the doctor’s office at St. Luke’s and Connor played in the
waiting area.
Only a short time later, the doctor called us in his office. Connor went straight for the doctor’s toys
and we sat down. He asked us several questions and watched Connor play. After about 45 minutes
of us answering questions and giving Connor a physical exam he gave us his diagnosis.
“Autism. Asperger’s Syndrome with a ‘touch of Hyperlexia’.” My husband later told me his heart sank
to the pit of his stomach. I was completely neutral and took the diagnosis in stride. I wanted to know
as much as I possibly could in the most scientific terminology as possible. When I get stressed, I
want nothing but the facts.
We pelted him with a barrage of questions and he basically summed up his decision in the following
way. Dr. St. Luke’s opinion follows: Connor is low on the autism spectrum. He has a “part” of
autism called Asperger’s Syndrome which means he may or may not go to regular school, have a
job, get married etc. Asperger’s kids have a delay in social interaction and non verbal
communication. He also has Hyperlexia which is best described as the opposite of dyslexia. He
sees numbers letters, shapes and symbols in super time and can understand their placement and
position very clearly. He can read limited words, spell almost anything, knows his numbers, shapes
and colors using rote memorization.
Dr. St. Luke’s gave us some papers. He recommended us to some specialists and Missouri’s First
Steps program and sent us on our way. I felt we walked into his office with Connor and walked out
with an Asperger’s kid.
After his appointment we jumped on the plane and headed to Disney. I really lost it on the plane. I
cried and cried in the way that made people around me cry, too. Throughout the entire trip I think I
cried in as many places as Sam tried to get his friend to eat Green Eggs and Ham- and at Disney,
that's easy to do. I really couldn’t make sense of it and really my only question was, “What is going to
happen to Connor?”
So I researched. And searched. And searched. And Mike did that same. We looked at all of the sites
from parents with kids with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) and Connor didn’t fit the bill. He was very
athletic. AS kids are mostly clumsy. He looked us and strangers in the eye. AS kids don’t usually do
this. I think the most important thing is that in our gut- we truly felt his diagnosis was wrong.
We proceeded to try to obtain therapies, diets and programs for him as though he had AS because
we knew our window of most effectiveness is during early, early childhood. So no matter name was
given to what he had, we were going to take that diagnosis and run with it.
Thankfully, St. Louis has a lot of great resources for children on the spectrum. Because Connor is
under 3-years-old, he is eligible for First Steps which is state run intervention program for children
with special needs. We began his assessment process with an interview by an intake specialist
which is another name for a project coordinator. She recommended we have Connor meet with a
speech, occupational (which we found out isn’t for people looking for jobs) and developmental
therapist. We made appointments for all three which put us on the way into the First Steps program.
We still weren’t happy with Connor’s diagnosis so we FINALLY after some marathon calling and
family influences, got into the most highly recommended pediatric neurologist, Dr. John Mantovani at
St. John’s. I filled out the eight page questionnaire which covered everything from what he ate to both
of our family medical histories. We hand delivered it to the doctor’s office weeks in advance and
eagerly waited for his October 31st appointment.
Halloween came with the speed of a snail- but it finally came. Again, we got into the doctor’s office
very quickly. Dr. Mantovani talked to us and observed and interacted with Connor. He smiled with
Connor and even scolded him to see if his reactions fell into the medically accepted range of normal.
The end of the appointment was nearing, Mike and I were anxiously waiting for his diagnosis. In
short, he told us he felt diagnosing any child under the age of 5 with Asperger’s Syndrome was not
responsible since children change and develop so much during that time.
He diagnosed Connor with Pervasive Development Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
So I don’t make this go longer than it already has become here is a link to a great explanation of what
that means scientifically. Click here for PDD-NOS. In a nutshell, it means that Connor has some
characteristics of autism, but not enough to diagnose him with that disorder. He did confirm Dr. St.
Luke’s diagnosis of hyperlexia, however. Which didn’t surprise me because, let’s face it- my two-year-
old reads.
We asked Dr. Mantovani the most important question to us which was, “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN
TO CONNOR?” Dr. Mantovani looked at us and said the very scientific. “I don’t know.” He told us he
couldn’t tell that of any child. But he did say that he knew more about this (autism) than anyone else
in St. Louis and that from what he saw of Connor, his prognosis was very, very good. He
recommended Connor have at least 12-20 hours per week of intense speech, developmental and
occupational therapy and to check back with him in 6 months.
He also recommended we attend the Judevine Center for Autism’s 3-week parent class (click here
for a video of the parenting class) which was also recommended by our pediatrician and my Internet
research. This course is extremely intense and covers 120 hours of therapist and parent led therapy.
It’s a how-to of helping your individual child overcome and cope with their shortcomings- no matter
how small or major they may be.
That’s our next step. We have gotten all of Connor’s First Steps therapists and his Pre-school
teachers at Ladue Chapel in place and they will be joining us at Judevine to view Connor and help
learn how to help him best and incorporate his new skills into his schooling and daily life.
I can say I am so lucky that we live in St. Louis because it has some of the world’s best autism
resources. I would also like to strongly urge all parents-especially the mothers because our sixth
sense in incredible and undeniable- to get their children screened for autism at 18 months and 24
months. And if your gut feeling isn’t satisfied then don’t stop. Get them checked by someone else.
Another great reason to get checked early is that if an autism diagnosis does come to fruition for your
child before the age of 3, there are a lot of free or low cost therapies that are available to you through
the First Steps Program and over age 3 through your school district.
If you are a parent who is struggling with where to live because of your child's diagnosis of autism I
would greatly appreciate helping you and your family using my own personal experiences with the
programs that are in place, both private and public in St. Louis. Email me in confidence at
cheryl@johnsonstl.com
I would like to highly stress that Autism, no matter how mild or severe is a disorder of privilege.
Pediatric doctors, neurologists, private therapy, special diets and even the Judevine Center for
Autism all take money- and a lot of it. This Christmas or holiday season, please find it in your
hearts to donate money to assisting families who are dealing with this stressful disorder. You
can donate money directly to the Judevine Center for Autism at www.judevine.org or work for a
cure through Cure Autism Now at www.can.org.
_______________________________________________________________________________
October 26, 2007
KSDK Channel 5 Features Johnson Realty as Its Cover Story
St. Louis’ NBC affiliate KSDK featured Johnson Realty’s Broker and Owner, Cheryl Johnson for its
cover story tonight. Johnson Realty’s dedication to providing “green” services for its clients is getting
recognition as the media is featuring more local businesses who are dedicated to improving the lives
of St. Louisians and Metro East residents everywhere. See below for the text story and click our link at
the bottom of this entry for the featured segment or by clicking here.
Courtesy of KSDK
The trend of "going green," isn't just for homeowners anymore. Now more and more business are
changing colors too. All across the world, companies of all sizes are finding it's to their benefit to
develop and invest in eco-friendly technologies and practices.
These same companies, that may have rejected such calls to aid the environment 10 years ago
because of the cost, are now finding that "going green" isn't just good for nature, it's also good for the
bottom line.
Such examples can be found all around St. Louis, you just have to know what you're looking at to
recognize the "green."
On the campus of the University of Missouri at St. Louis, workers from Hansen's Tree Service are
bringing in their heavy equipment to begin their day's work. The school has contracted them to
remove a small wooded area just north of campus. The land needs to be cleared of all trees, to make
way for a new development scheduled for early next year.
At first glance, the total destruction of a small forest does not look to be a very green practice. The
workers with their bulldozers, chain saws and cranes are making quick work of knocking and cutting
down the trees. In less then 2 hours, crews have successfully erased what took decades for mother
nature to grow.
But as the saws hum through 3 foot thick tree trucks and the claws of a 10 ton excavator effortlessly
scoop up the debris, neatly depositing it into the roaring blades of the tub grinder, the "whatever
makes this a green project" is hard to find. But if one looks closely it's there. It really is.
"Most people look at it as a waste. But it's not a waste, it's a product." These words come from Cliff
Metcalf, Director of Environmental Operations. It's his job to convince us that what we're seeing, trees
being uprooted, cut in half, bulldozed, and eventually grinded is really good for our planet.
"We're take that material and put it back into marketable products." The product Metcalf is referring to
is his companies new mulch products. The wood that is grinded up is then deposited into trucks and
hauled back to Hansen's facility in O'Fallon, Missouri, where it processed, treated and allowed to
cook. In the end, the remnants of the trees become landscaping mulch.
"We deal with environmental products and you think of it as a product. In the past this wood would
have been sent to a landfill. People weren't aggressively turning it into a product and thinking of it as a
waste. You have to think differently. It's not a waste. You look at items like this as a by product. You
take that byproduct and turn it into a product and we just have the fortunate that the product we make
can go right back into the environment," said Metcalf.
Hansen's believes what they're doing is makes good sense not only for the earth, but for their
business. The mulch they create is now a new source of revenue. "It's just good business sense,"
said Metcalf.
With the housing market declining all across the country, selling a house has never been harder.
Traditional methods called for the placement of cardboard signs along with a box full of paper flyers
listing all the information a potential homebuyer might need. And while a tranquil sign, in front of
house for sale, might not represent a full scale attack on the environment. It's really not the "green"
way to go.
"We decided to get rid of the flyers," said Cheryl Johnson, president of Johnson Realty, a real estate
brokerage firm in St. Louis. "They get wet, they get taken by the neighbors who aren't necessarily your
buyers and what we decided to do was us a permanent 24 hour information sign that still gives
reliable consistent information to the buyer without sacrificing the paper and energy consumption
used with constantly refilling the flier box."
Johnson's "For Sale" sign lists the phone number, any homeseeker can call. A recording gives out all
the relevant information. "Because they're all color copies, so we're saving about $150.00 per listing
per the life of the listing just on the fliers alone," said Johnson.
But, Johnson wasn't done with her efforts to transform her company into a "green" one. "We've also
decided to use a hybrid car so we've reduced our gas consumption by 50 percent without sacrificing
the comfort of our clients. All of our contracts and our paperwork are sent by email via pdf. We only
print out our contracts for our permanent record and we're actually converting our permanent records
into pdf. forms So that we virtually have a paperless office."
Johnson says she believes today's homebuyers are savvy and environmentally conscious. She
hopes her company's efforts will eventually help lure more customers once they learn they are
practicing green principles.
St. Louis Metalwork's Company, for years, has installed metal roofs on hundreds of buildings across
St. Louis and the Midwest. But when company president Kelly Luckett, began hearing about green
roofs, he knew his company needed to change, or be left behind.
So, Luckett, looking for unique approach to the existing market of green roofs, developed his own
idea and patented the concept for "Green Roof" blocks and packs.
"They're self contained, each holds soil and plants. We arrange them on the roof to restore the
greenspace that was sacrificed by the building footprint," said Luckett. Luckett believes his industry
was changing. He thinks his invention will position his company to take advantage of the market and
the public's change toward environmentalism, "and to profit from good stewardship of the planet
rather then at the expense of it."
Luckett claims his "Green Roof Blocks" help restore the green space that was sacrificed by the
building footprint. "Green building is all about taking care of the planet. The most fundamental tenant
of that is the green space on the planet, so when you scrape the greenspace off to build a building or
to build a road then we lose all the things that the plants do for us," said Luckett.
By placing the plants back up on the roof tops, Luckett's blocks help the building provide the
environment with storm water management and the oxygen generation. "We're helping to cool the
building, we're reducing the heat load on the building, so its taking less energy, it's creating less
greenhouse gas emissions to heat and cool the building. It's basically restoring the planet, just the
way it was before we started disturbing it."
These three businesses are just examples of this trend of industry gone green. Experts say, in the
not-too-distant future, consumers can expect companies to not only market their products and
services, but the "green" steps taken to get those products and services to market.
Click here to see the piece which ran on the 10 o’clock news.
_______________________________________________________________________________
September 8, 2007
The Importance of Being Earnest
Earnest Money. What is it? Why should you be concerned about it? How does it affect you once you
have a contract? Most importantly, how does it affect you if your contract falls apart?
Earnest money is best defined in the way that your real estate contract defines it which is a deposit
paid by a buyer to a seller to demonstrate an intention to complete the purchase.
What does it matter to you, the seller? It matters because the more the earnest money is worth the
more teeth the contract has. A buyer telling you she’s willing to lose $5000 in earnest money if she
doesn’t perform on the contract that has more weight than if she only is willing to lose $500.
If you are the seller, the more earnest money you can get- the better. If you are the purchaser- you
want to minimize your risk and offer as low of earnest money as the seller will let you get away with.
Most importantly, how does the earnest money affect you if your contract falls apart? This part is
crucial because most sellers never pay attention to what the earnest money amount is and neither do
their agents until it's too late.
If the buyer, BEFORE their contractual deadlines end, cancels the contract due to any clause listed in
the contract or the Seller fails to satisfactorily perform on their contractual obligations then the buyers
are normally due a full refund of their earnest money minus any of their expenses like inspectors or
appraisals.
If the buyer fails to perform on the contract and the seller has satisfactorily completed all of their
contractual obligations then the seller AND the seller’s broker are normally entitled to the earnest
money usually split 50/50. So, if you have accepted $500 for earnest money, the closing is 60 days
out, and the buyer fails to close, you could receive $250 for your lost marketing time and towards your
lost mortgage payments.
There are several more legal scenarios directing the collection and distribution of earnest money, but
those situation are best dealt with on a case by case basis and should be explained by a contract law
attorney who can give you options pertaining to a particular contract.
The best way to figure out what kind of earnest money you should be asking for is to review the merits
of the contract, coupled with the buyer's financing and their closing date. Johnson Realty normally
recommends our sellers accept around 1% or more of their asking price for earnest money but each
contract is individual so using your gut and best judgement is always in order.
It is important to know that most buyers are earnest with their earnest money and have sincere
intentions of closing on the home they have contracted to purchase. Earnest money is rarely
collected or refunded because the buyer and seller normally complete the deal.
For more information on how earnest money affects your contract, contact Cheryl Johnson at
Cheryl@johnsonstl.com or Cheryl@johnsonmetroeast.com. If you need legal advise, please contact
me and I will be happy to refer a legal council to you.
_______________________________________________________________________________
August 31, 2007
No. 87 TRG/ Johnson Realty Chevrolet Finishes 7th at Gateway ARCA 150
Granite City, IL- Andy Lally, driver of the No. 87 TRG/ Johnson Realty Chevrolet finished 7th in a three
wide dash to the checker at the ARCA Re/MAX Series Gateway ARCA 150. This race was Lally's 2nd
top ten finish in as many races since beginning the series late this season.
Lally, a multi-winning Grand-Am Champion, Rolex 24 at Daytona class winner and NASCAR Busch
Series road racing expert is competing in the ARCA series to increase his stock car experience and
qualify for a full NASCAR license.
"When you want to race NASCAR, you don't just go to the DMV and get a license," jokes Lally. "You
have to prove yourself on every type of track that NASCAR races in a stock car. The ARCA Series is a
perfect match for our team's goals because the cars we run are actually last year's NASCAR Nextel
Cup cars and the tracks they race on mostly host NASCAR events. Doing well in these races makes
a good impression in NASCAR's licensing department."
Lally proved skill and patience in the 120-lap race marred with attrition and a red flag stop due to a
serious crash on the back straight. Starting 21st, Lally was able to remain clear of most contact and
maneuvered through several caution periods cruising to a 4th position high. After getting hit entering
turn one near the end of the race, Lally was able to save the car from colliding with the wall. Though
losing a few positions, he managed to avoid any further trouble while fighting three wide toward the
checker where he bested his first ARCA finish by three positions, ending in 7th.
"We were so happy to be a part of Andy's race here in St. Louis," said Cheryl Johnson, owner and
broker of Johnson Realty. "We invited some of our friends and family to come watch the No. 87 TRG/
Johnson Realty Chevrolet race. Our friends who couldn't make the race even texted us to cheer the
TRG team on. Every time we saw the Johnson Realty logo pass us in the stands we were proud of
Andy and the entire TRG team and what they have accomplished. It was very exciting."
Currently, Lally has been approved for road races and 1.25 mile ovals and is racing at Chicagoland
Speedway next week to attempt to obtain approval for 1.5 mile courses. TRG's next ARCA race will
be on September 8 in Joliet, Illinois. They will also be fighting for the Grand-Am GT championship
where they are in 2nd place at the Sunchaser 1000 at Miller Motorsport Park in Tooele, Utah on
September 15th.
###
Mike Johnson, Owner and Agent of Johnson Realty and Andy Lally have raced with or against
each other for the last 12 years. Mike, as Andy's team owner or Team Manager have won 2
Grand-Am Championships, the Rolex 24 at Daytona and several races. Andy was the best man at
our wedding and is more than a teammate and fellow competitor, but also a dear friend.
***Special thanks to Andy Lally and The Racers Group (TRG) for a very fun weekend and their
generous hospitality.
Cheryl Johnson For Buying and Selling in:
of St. Louis 314-726-3174
Johnson Realty Metro East 618-222-1360
The No. 87 TRG/ Johnson Realty Chevrolet post-
race. From left to Right: Driver, Andy Lally,
Johnson Realty Broker, Cheryl Johnson, Owner
and Agent of Johnson Realty, Mike Johnson,
Owner of TRG (The Racer's Group), Kevin
Buckler
race. From left to Right: Driver, Andy Lally,
Johnson Realty Broker, Cheryl Johnson, Owner
and Agent of Johnson Realty, Mike Johnson,
Owner of TRG (The Racer's Group), Kevin
Buckler
