On a usually quiet Webster Groves cul-de-sac, the kind of modest three-bedroom houses that once marked the first rung on the homeownership ladder are now clustered under one name. Neighbors on Corona Court say a wealthy local lawyer has bought multiple homes on the street, and they are growing uneasy about what that level of control could mean for affordability and the tight-knit feel of the block.
As reported by St. Louis Magazine, attorney Jim Onder, brother of U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and a high-profile personal-injury lawyer, has purchased eight properties on Corona Court. Public records reviewed for that story show Onder Properties LLC holds roughly 54 parcels across St. Louis County. The same report notes that Onder owns the building that houses his OnderLaw firm and the historic Ozark Theatre, and that neighbors worry the buying spree could lead to demolitions, larger replacement houses, or rental conversions that would fundamentally alter the street’s character.
County and MLS records back up the cluster of purchases. Several Corona Court parcels list Onder Properties LLC as the recorded owner, and the firm appears on recent sale and rental entries across north Webster. Public listings for 401 Corona Court and other nearby properties show Onder Properties as owner on sale and rental filings, according to Compass.
Onder told reporters he has been buying in Webster Groves for 35 years and said, “I will not rent a property that I would not move in myself,” adding that he demolishes homes he considers beyond repair and tries to keep habitable units affordable. St. Louis Magazine points to one Onder-owned house at the entrance to Corona Court that appears rundown and notes county appraisals for many of the Corona Court parcels fall in the roughly $200,000 to $260,000 range. The same story reports that the Webster Groves Community Land Trust secured its first property in March and that local leaders are weighing code reforms and other tools to discourage speculation.
Why locals worry
Housing scholars and planning researchers say concentrated investor buying can have real effects on who gets to own in a neighborhood and how stable it feels over time. A study in the Journal of Planning Education and Research found that large institutional purchases of single-family homes in the Atlanta area were associated with declines in local homeownership, while smaller landlords did not show the same pattern.
Prices, supply and starter homes
That dynamic hits a nerve in Webster Groves because, even though the wider market leans pricey, the specific Corona Court properties cited in public listings still sit well below county and national medians. That makes them catnip for first-time buyers and for investors chasing returns. Nationally, the National Association of Realtors reported a median existing-home price of about $405,400 at the end of 2025, underscoring how tight supply and rising prices have turned modest starter homes into a scarce resource.
What neighbors want next
Longtime residents say they want straightforward answers about any redevelopment or rental plans, and for the city to lean on zoning, code enforcement, and other tools if speculation starts to threaten affordability. Those worries have now landed squarely in City Hall, where officials and neighborhood organizers are talking through possible responses. Councilmembers including Karen Alexander and Emerson Smith are the elected officials fielding many of those questions, according to the Webster Groves city government.
