Baton Rouge Area Homes Blog

White Oak Landing Subdivision, Baton Rouge, LA

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:34:07 -0700

White Oak Landing Subdivision, Baton Rouge, LA

Why Do People Like to Live in White Oak Landing?

White Oak Landing is one of the beautiful premier neighborhoods in the metro Baton Rouge area. It is in the heart of South East Baton Rouge with easy access to the main transportation hubs of I-12 and Airline Highway and I-10. This subdivision is a private wooded, nature-rich community of custom homes on acre lots tucked away from the hustle and bustle of city life, but just a short drive away from the action. Winding nature trails and fishing lakes make you feel like your on vacation when you come home. You'll catch glimpses of families jogging or cycling on the miles of trails that run behind residences and connecting the lakes that flow down to the Amite River, yet off the main roads for safety and to keep the nature feeling while you're out. You'll hear soft sound of nature like owls hooting at night.

Looking for a Home in White Oak Landing?

You will find a variety of homes that are for sale in White Oak Landing Subdivision, Baton Rouge LA. Click that link to find all the currently available homes in that area of Baton Rouge. And the nice thing about this subdivision is that it has an active Homeowners Civic Association that monitors and keeps the community appealing and safe.

What's the Neighborhood Like?

The homes you would expect to find in White Oak Landing Subdivision of Baton Rouge LA are custom homes that range between $300,000 and $900,000. It has a wide variety of architectures like colonial, cape cod, french colonial, Louisiana acadiana,or California modern. Because of its diversity, the community appeals to transferees from all states. Began in the early 1980's the subdivision is nearly completed with only 2 or 3 lots still available but not currently for sale. Many homes are on lakes. Many have pools. Most lots range from 1/2 to 3 acres. Since their initial construction, many homes have been updated or remodeled to suit the new owners personality. All are designed for people to enjoy the outdoors which residents in South Louisiana enjoy year around with a few chilly days requiring coats on your hikes. You can use the convenient White Oak Landing FaceBook link to keep in touch with posts.

What's Going On Nearby?

A series of trails winds among the custom homes with private access and security neighborhood watch. If you want to find nearby Restaurants, Groceries, Schools, or More places you will need to hop in your car for a short drive. To give you an idea for nearby activities use this handy Walk Score from 19735 Creek Round, one of the streets in White Oak Landing Subdivision, Baton Rouge LA

What Schools Will the Children Attend?

For Public Schools most White Oak Landing families attend Shenandoah Elementary, Woodlawn Middle School, and Woodlawn High School, or some qualify for Baton Rouge High Magnate program or one of the Arts Schools. East Baton Rouge Parish School System provides current and updated information on their webiste so check to be sure school districts haven't changes and boundaries are often revised. And there are several private and parochial schools as well. One of the premier Catholic Schools, St. Michael.., sits right at the entrance to the subdivision where Monitor Avenue turns into Woodlake Blvd.

Now you Really Want to find a home Here, Right?

Then select your White Oak Landing home right now and begin hiking and fishing in its private lakes!

Or Maybe You Need to Sell? Get a market snapshot + Current Home Value for your White Oak Landing home

Alltell Home Inspection, Inspecting Homes in Baton Rouge Since 2002

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:44:36 -0700

Alltell Home Inspection, Inspecting Homes in Baton Rouge Since 2002

Are you thinking of purchasing a home? Alltell Home Inspection, inspecting homes in Baton Rouge since 2002, can make you aware of the home's true condition before you make that commitment.

A conversation with James Bohac, owner of Alltell Home Inspection and licensed home inspector, guest of Ann Dail, Broker, Owner of Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC.

Services Offered: We conduct comprehensive home inspections, which is something that I would recommend every home buyer has done before purchasing a home. Our comprehensive Home Inspection report includes:

Visible or accessible foundation and framing
General exterior, including siding, windows, doors, trim, roof, chimney, drainage and grading.
Electrical panels, fixtures, switches and receptacles.
Accessible plumbing systems such as fixtures and water heaters.
Heating and air conditioning systems.
General interior, including walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors.
Attic framing, insulation and ventilation.

All Inspection Reports include color photo's of deficiencies. Reports are delivered by e-mail the same day as the inspection. Click here for a sample inspection report.

Why are home inspections so important? The purchase of a home is probably the largest single investment most people will ever make. You should learn as much as you can about the condition of the property and the need for any major repairs before you buy, so that you can minimize unpleasant surprises and/or expenses after the purchase, especially with today’s current economy. A home inspection makes you aware of the condition of the home before you make that commitment.

Who should have their home inspected? Anyone buying a home should definitely have it inspected. Sellers may have their home inspected prior to placing it on the market. This provides an oportunity to make needed repairs that would put the home in an improved selling condition. Older homes can also be challenging due to outdated building practices. Electrical and plumbing systems often need to be updated which creates an additional expense the average home buyer may not be aware of before an inspection is performed.

What can a customer expect when they ask you to conduct an inspection? I inspect every home as if it were my own. I provide an unbiased and comprehensive home inspection report, including photos, detailing all the major systems of the home from the foundation to the tip of the roof. I also provide maintenance tips and advice to ensure your home remains in the proper condition for years to come.

The National Association of Home Inspectors offers a virtual inspection on its website that homebuyers will find interesting.

What areas do you serve? I service Baton Rouge and the surounding parishes including, Denham Springs, Walker, Priarieville, Gonzales, Port Allen, Brusly, Baker, and Zachary.

What sets your business apart from the competition? My business relies on referrals and has grown by providing a superior service with prompt and accurate reports.

How has your industry changed in the past few years? Major changes have been adopted in standard building practices in recent years due to damages from previous storms. I take pride in staying informed of recent changes due to never ending continuing education!

What does a home inspection cost? The price of an inspection is determined by the living area square footage. Additional fees may apply for detached structures, pier and beam homes, additional heating and AC systems, and for homes over 20 years of age. But it is really an investment that will save you money in the long run.

Tell us about yourself. Alltell Home Inspection is locally owned and operated. I have performed pre-purchase, pre-listing, Bank Draw and Insurance inspections in the Baton Rouge area since 2002. I am licensed by the State of Louisiana, fully insured and bonded. I take pride in providing my clients a thorough inspection from the foundation to the tip of the roof. I take the approach that I am inspecting a home that I would be buying.

For your inspection needs call Alltell Home Inspection at 225-806-7572 or e-mail 4alltell@cox.net. You can also visit our website at www.4Alltell.com.

Whether you are buying a home or preparing to sell a home, contact Alltell Home Inspection.

Alltell Home Inspection, inspecting homes in Baton Rouge since 2002.

FIND YOUR BATON ROUGE, LA HOME HERE.

Gulf Mortgage Group Can Finance or Refinance Your Prairieville LA Home

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:42:05 -0800

Gulf Mortage Group Can Finance or Refinance Your Prairieville LA Home

Are you thinking of refinancing your home or financing a new home in Prairieville, LA? Gulf Mortgage Group can help you take advantage of a favorable rate environment.

A conversation with David Brian, Managing Partner of Gulf Mortgage Group, guest of Ann Dail, Broker, Owner of Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC.

Services Offered: We are a mortgage brokerage firm offering financing options to meet virtually any kind of residential mortgage need. If you are looking to purchase, refinance, start a new construction project or finance home improvments, we can help you find the best deal.

What is the difference between a mortgage broker and a lender? A mortgage broker counsels you on the loans available from different wholesalers, takes your application, and usually processes the loan which involves putting together the complete file of information about your transaction including the credit report, appraisal, verification of your employment and assets, and so on. When the file is complete, but sometimes sooner, the lender "underwrites" the loan, which means deciding whether or not you are an acceptable risk.

Location & Area Served: We are located at 38034 Post Office Road, Suite A, Prairieville, LA and have been in business since 2002. We are licensed to do home mortgage loans in Louisiana and are offering Conventional, FHA, VA and Rural Development loans. We are convenient for customers in Prairieville, Gonzales, or South Baton Rouge.

How do customers decide which of those loan options is best for them? At Gulf Mortgage, we will walk each customer through the options to make sure they make the best choice, but here's a brief explanation of each.

Conventional mortgages are traditional loan programs that usually require 5% down and offer competitive interest rates. Documentation and excellent credit are necessary.

FHA mortgages are backed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This mortgage offers the borrower the ability to put as little as 3.5% down payment – and they can even finance “allowable” closing costs. Sellers can contribute up to 6% of the purchase price to the buyer towards closing costs. Credit requirements are more leneint than on conventional mortgages.

VA Mortgages are backed by the Veterans Administration and the federal government, it is similar to FHA except that you have to be a qualified Veteran or military person.

Rural Development Loans offer 100% financing for first time buyers. Also, the PMI requirements are lower, which keeps the monthly notes lower.

How do customers figure out how much home they can afford, what their down payment should be and what their payments will be? We can help with that and will walk the customer through those decisions as part of our process. Also, there are some good calculators on our website.

What can people expect when they contact you? When you contact Gulf Mortgage Group, you will be put in touch that same day with one of the partners who will offer to set up an appointment to review your individual needs. There is no cost up front for the initial consultation. Throughout your mortgage process, you will be contacted by an assigned loan processor as well as one of the partners with updates on your loan progress.

What advice do you have for customers who are interested in financing or refinancing home? We are simply a phone call away from either saving you money on your home refinace or getting you into your new home. Don't hesitate to call us.

What is new in residential financing? What trends do you expect to see in the next 1-2 years? We are anticipating that both rates and home prices will rise over the next few years as the economy continues to strengthen.

Company Ownership: Gulf Mortgage Group is locally owned and operated by David Brian and Todd Villar. With over 20 years in the mortgage business, we pride ourselves on working referrals from past customers. So we work hard to make sure each customer has a great experience. If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or refinancing a home, call me at 225-744-3541. You can also visit our website at www.gulfmortgagegroup.com to see what we can do to help you with your mortgage needs. We offer after-hours appointments to help fit our customers' schedules.

Gulf Mortage Group can finance or refinance your Prairieville LA home. Just give them a call!

Search for homes in Prairieville & Gonzales

Baton Rouge TELCO FCU offers Home Mortgages and More

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:53:45 -0800

Baton Rouge TELCO Federal Credit Union offers Home Mortgages and More

For over 75 years, Baton Rouge TELCO Federal Credit Union offers home mortgages and more to its members, including a full range of financial services.

A conversation with Darryl Long, CEO of Baton Rouge TELCO FCU, guest of Ann Dail, Broker, Owner of Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC.

Credit Union History & Membership: Baton Rouge TELCO Federal Credit Union was originally chartered in 1936 to serve the employees of Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company. Over time, TELCO has expanded to serve anyone who lives, works, worships or goes to school in a 10 parish area: Ascension, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena and Tangipahoa.

Services Offered: TELCO offers a wide variety of financial services to its membership. Let me list some of the benefits offered exclusively to members:

Accounts such as savings, checking, share certificates, and youth accounts
Loans for automobiles, boats, RVs and unsecured loans
Home mortgages and home refinancing
Mobile home loans and RV loans
VISA credit cards, VISA check cards, and ATM cards
Direct deposit, overdraft privilege, and safe deposit boxes
E-Services including free mobile banking, online banking and bill pay, email notifications, e-statements, and secure chat
World class customer service

How is a credit union different from a bank? Baton Rouge TELCO exists for its members, who are actually the owners. Rather than make a profit from their transactions, any earnings that TELCO makes are returned to the members in the form of better rates and lower fees. For example, we offer a checking account with no monthly service charge or minimum balance requirement. Most banks do not offer that type of product. Similar to banks, deposits at TELCO are federally insured to at least $250,000 and are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government.

What makes TELCO a good option for home financing? We offer home mortgages and home refinancing at very competitive rates. We also finance mobile homes. Plus, most of our mortgages stay with TELCO instead of being sold. You will be working with the same helpful, local people throughout the life of your loan.

Where are you located? TELCO has four locations.

In Baton Rouge, we are at 13404 Airline Highway across from the new Woman's Hospital.

We have a second Baton Rouge location at 2226 Wooddale Blvd. between Tom Drive and Choctaw.

We also have a new branch in Watson at 32839 LA Hwy. 16, near WalMart.

In Hammond, we are at 1115 W. University Avenue near the SLU campus.

Plus, TELCO members have almost 30 credit union service center locations in the Baton Rouge area and almost 5,000 in the United States where they can transact business. Members also have access to an extensive network of credit union ATMs around the state and across the country.

What makes your service world class? What can a potential member expect?

TELCO strives to exceed our member’s expectations. We want our members to go tell their family, friends and neighbors about our low rates on loans, high rates on savings, low fees and friendly service they received at TELCO.

What advice can you offer to someone who is shopping around for a financial institution?

Sometimes the best financial institution isn’t the one that is the most advertised or the most visible. TELCO is a hidden gem that long-time residents of Baton Rouge have found to offer them better rates and service than the larger institutions.

If someone is interested in opening an account and becoming a TELCO member, what should they do?

Visit www.brtelco.org or call (225) 924-8900. You can also a visit membership services officer at any of our four locations.

Baton Rouge TELCO Federal Credit Union offers Home Mortgages and More For your home financing and financial services needs, check out Baton Rouge Telco Federal Credit Union.

Search for homes in Baton Rouge or Watson.

Wildcat Station for Indoor Fun in Central, LA

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 17:37:45 -0800

Wildcat Station for Indoor Fun in Central, LA.

Looking for something fun to do indoors? Come to Wildcat Station for indoor fun in Central, LA. We feature indoor black light mini golf, arcade, pool table, snacks and party room.

A conversation with Jason & DeeDee Dupree, owners of Wildcat Station, guest of Ann Dail, Broker, Owner of Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC.

Services Offered: Wildcat Station Putt, Play and Arcade in Central, LA is an indoor facility that offers a family-friendly, fun environment for all ages. We feature indoor black light 9-hole mini golf with multiple arcade games including, air hockey, foosball, driving games, shooting games, and billards. Our vision was to create a place that offered great entertainment right here in Central.

What can people expect when they visit you? Wildcat Station is focused on providing a complete afternoon or evening of fun while still being reasonably priced. We have a concession stand that offers snacks and drinks and a variety of activities. Token packages are available to keep the fun budget-friendly. And all this is offered in a family-safe environment. We are fully staffed with local teens who will provide excellent, friendly service. And t is our rule that no inappropriate behavior or language is tolerated. You can feel good about you and your kids spending time here.

What sets you apart from other entertainment options? Whether you’re looking for a place for kids to go on the weekend, or want a “date night” out with your spouse, Wildcat Station offers something for everyone. One of the best things about Wildcat Station is that we are indoors, So, rain or shine, day or night, your fun will not be effected by the weather. Hot, cold, rainy or dry, its always comfortable and ready for fun at Wildcat Station. Plus, we are conveniently located in Central which is great for local residents and only a short drive from Baton Rouge.

Do you offer birthday parties? Yes, we love hosting birthday parties and other events! Party packages for birthdays, end of the year parties, and anything else you want to celebrate are available. Because Wildcat Station is completely indoors, it is a great choice for any time of year--no bugs, no humidity. We offer different package options that fit any budget. Party packages options include games, favors, glow in the dark bracelets, unlimited mini golf, pizzas, and paper products in the theme of your choice. Our friendly hosts will make it easy on the parents or party organizers so they can have fun, too.

What inspired you to open your business? We were at an indoor entertainment facility in Lafayette one day, and noticed that there were two other families there from Central. We realized then that the only thing to do in Central was to eat out, and that maybe there was an opportunity here to provide our community with better options. We opened in May 2012, and the support of the local community has been fantastic!

Is there an entry fee? For only $6 per person, you receive unlimited indoor black light mini golf. Plus, kids 5 and under are free with a paid adult.

Where Are You Located? What are your hours? We are at 14395 Greenwell Springs Road, Suites 2 & 3, which is at the corner of Greenwell Springs Road and Sullivan Road behind the Chevron station. Our regular hours are as follows.

Thursday 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Friday 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Saturday 12:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Sunday 12:00 pm - 8:00 pm

We are closed Monday - Wednesday, though we can work with you to arrange events on those days.

Contact Information: To inquire about events or for questions, call 225-663-6379 or 225-445-5155. You can also email your requests to wildcatstationcentral@yahoo.com. Check us out on Facebook, too.

Map to Wildcat Station:

View Larger Map

Wildcat Station for Indoor Fun in Central, LA.

Find a home in Central, LA

Affordable, earthquake & hurricaine resistant Shipping Container Home

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:38:30 -0800

A Baton Rouge architect has used his imagination to come up with an affordable, earthquake resistant, hurricaine resistant, self-contained "green" shipping container home for Haiti or other areas hit by disaster or living in poverty.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" -Proverb Source Unknown

It all started when Darrin Badon, an architect and partner at Tipton Associates in Baton Rouge Louisiana visited Haiti for a fifth time in the fall of 2010 and saw the countless number of orphans and families still homeless following the massive 2010 earthquake. Darrin has 3 children himself, and was moved at the nearly a million people still homeless two years after the earthquake and another million who live with just terrible accommodations. "....seeing the level of destruction, I just had a very deep desire to do something related to housing..something affordable, earthquake resistant, hurricane and tropical storm resistant", Badon says.

Each time he flew in and out of Haiti he saw thousands of shipping containers stacked up, and saw crowds of unemployed people trying to survive in the poorest country in our hemisphere, and he felt led to come up with something that would give shelter and at the same time put local people to work and give these people employment and some hope. On the last trip there he took his 3 children and wife.

So he began to talk with others and began to have some ideas. If he designed a home and then partnered with churches or organizations who were already working and living in Haiti, an organization could be started to build these homes. And the organization could be run locally by Haitians to build communities, one at a time. when they saw the improvement and hope. He envisioned small clusters of 20-25 shipping container homes forming a small close knit community. The local Haiti church would be key partner in helping establish the location and homeowners for these new communities. Communities organized by the Haitians themselves would provide shelter, and food, and spiritual hope to those in the community. He began sketching out his ideas.

So theearthquake resistant, hurricaine resistant, self-contained "green" shipping container home with solar power began to take life. Using shipping containers that go into Haiti full but would go to waste He knew these containers were used by the U.S. Marines in rural Afghanistan as housing since they are durable and weather resistant, Then other parts like solar panels could be shipped in from other countries initially. He had to build a prototype to prove its feasibility, so he purchased an 8 x 8 x 20 steel shipping container in New Orleans last spring for $2300 and had it brought to Baton Rouge. Istrouma Baptist Church which has organized several mission trips to Haiti partnered with Darrin Badon to provide the land site for construction. Then Badon and his family, and a few other men began construction of the home they named "The Haiti House". This affordable, earthquake resistant, hurricane resistant, self-contained "green" shipping container home was being born.

The Haiti House is constructed from the shipping container. They cut large windows in one side and small windows in the other to create the proper air flow for ventilation

& welded on shutters and hinges provide shelter from storms and rain , and placed solar panels to connected via wiring to a gel battery that does not give off hydrogen, to provide lights and a fan to circulate air at night. The panel and batteries have a 2-3 day capacity so if the sun doesn't shine it still have enough power to last.

A smaller entry door is installed inside the larger container door and insulated it with foam,, framed up the interior, and used particle board for paneling but left it unfinished so each family can create their own interior color and design or just use it unfinished.

An awning can be made of steel or wood in Haiti to provide shelter while outdoors cooking. Both charcoal and propane are abundant in Haiti.

Not counting labor, a Haiti House can be built for about $5,000 in materials if you pay for the shipping container. Haitians work for U.S. $1.50 a day. So if he could just start with $6,000, he could convert a shipping container already in Haiti and train and pay local workers and set aside 10% on each home to go into the LLC as a fund to start the next home. Eventually the project could become self-sustaining.

So the first Haiti House will be completed this year. Mr. Badon lived full time in his Haiti house this winter to test the home and make any changes he sees while living there. This affordable, earthquake resistant, hurricaine resistant, self-contained "green" solar home will be shipped early in 2013.

A non-profit L.L.C. is being formed and efforts are being coordinate with Global Orphan Project and other interested organizations which are established in Haiti. Mr. Badon hopes to branch out with the assistance of other interested groups. They want this project to be a self-sustaining endeavor, not a handout but a hand-up that the Haitians themselves are partners in.

After interviewing Mr. Badon and seeing the passion that drove him to spend months using his time on weekends away from his family to build this Haiti House, I think the following passage from the Bible is reflective of Darrin Badon's attitude and his Haiti House:

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen" New American Standard Bible (©1995)

If you are interested in learning more about this home and the Haiti project, you may contact Darrin Badon directly at DBadon@tipton-associates.com Architecture/planning/interiors 225-387-0101 x16

What Is Happening to Automaking in the U.S. and in Louisiana?

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:06:10 -0700

What Is Happening to Auto making in the U.S. and in Louisiana?

I am going to divert a moment from the most commonly thought of technology, computers, to another type of technology that is part of a Realotr's life every day, cars. Every Realtor in the U.S. must have a car. And we all know the high cost of owning and operating one. As I listened to some political ads, it reminded me of a blog I wrote a while ago about a young start up company in Louisiana called V-Works that had committed to manufacture "green" cars made with U.S. labor and design in north Louisiana. Here is a snippet from from the 2008 news release:

"V-Vehicle Company, or VVC, is a new American car company that will produce a high-quality and fuel efficient car for the U.S. market. Its goal is to provide the American car buyer greater product value and a superior automotive experience. By designing and building its cars in the U.S. WC wants to help re-establish American leadership in the global automotive industry
VVC has been funded thus far by the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, or KPCB,under the stewardship of VVC board members and KPCB partners Ray Lane and John Doerr. KPCB s one of the world’s leading venture capital companies, with success stories including Genentech, Amazon, Compaq and Sun Microsystems. VVC and KPCB are currently in the process of closing a second round of equity funding.

VVC has applied for engineering and manufacturing loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion loan program established by Congress in 2007 and administered by the U.S. Department of Energy to spur innovation in automobile technology."

Start ups are many times unsuccessful, though this one had backing from big names like Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and T.Boone Pickens of BP Capital Management. The company had solid leadership with experience in the automotive industry. The company raised $90 million in private investment and $83 million from state and local governmental agencies. the State of Louisiana came on-board in June 209 with a performance-based incentive package of over $133 million of infrastructure, tax credits, tax abatement, and customized training. It changed the company name to Next Auto Works and applied for a $320 million loan with the United States Department of Energy. After clearing extensive technical, market, financial, regulatory, credit and legal analysis the DOT determined that the applications were 'substantially complete' in May 2009. The DOT waited and led the company to believe approval was imminent and then in March 2011 announced that DOT would not recommend approval of WC's applications from the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Progeam (ATVMLP) This loan program was set up and approved by congress for exactly this kind of venture in the U.S. By refusing this next financing step, it essential brought to a halt the start up of a U.S. automotive manufacturer offering a car totally produced with U.S. labor, the v-car that was a high quality, fuel efficient car priced 35-40% BELOW COMPARABLY EQUIPPED CARS.

The company announced shut down of the Monroe, Louisiana facility in early 2012 and is paying back money and bonds collected to responsibly end this venture. A loss for Louisiana and perhaps the rest of the U.S. as well.

A not so flattering article written in Forbes Magazine by Paul Roderick Gregory may have a ring of truth. It is titled "Outsourcer-In-Chief: Obama Of General Motors" You can't discern truth from any of the political ads on t.v., but in this article Forbes a respected business publication points out some enlightening information

"We need to look no further than General Motors' own figures to learn that GM outsources almost two thirds of its jobs overseas. Less than one in five GM vehicles are manufactured in the Unite States. To be exact GM's December 31, 2011 annual report shows GM of North America accounting for 98,000 of the 207,000 GM jobs worldwide....GM has 74,500 jobs in the United States and 122,500 abroad...Almost two thirds of GM's jobs are in other countries."

There may be other examples of such startup companies in your states. This is just one I know about.

I salute the entrepreneur spirit in the U.S., and close out my blogs on VVC at the sad end of this Louisiana automotive company. I leave you with these questions for reflection.

1. Why did the U.S. bail out General Motors without requiring that all other partner countries that profited even more than the U.S. pay their fair percentage of the bailout?

2. Why did the DOT under Obama refuse to help a auto start up company that was well backed, and well run by experienced auto executives, and with only U.S. labor, and that had a lower priced, fuel efficient auto that would have been a good alternative for many in the U.S.?

3. Is it possible that General Motors and unions afraid of real competition?

Find Your Baton Rouge Area Home with this search link

Do you need help selling your Baton Rouge home? Staged homes sell more quickly and for more money.

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:10:33 -0700

Do you need help selling your Baton Rouge home? Staged homes sell more quickly and for more money. A conversation with Andi Holliday, owner of Stage Presence LLC.

1. What is Your product or service? Staging Your Home....I can make the process of selling your home an exciting and profitable experience. Staged homes sell more quickly and for more money. You need help selling your Baton Rouge Home! Statistics show that 94 percent of homes staged by an Accredited Staging Proffesional sold in 29 days or less, compared to an average 145 days for homes that were not staged. I began my company after watching a seller put a sign up in his yard stating that he would sell his home for $60,000 under appraisal value. This home had been on the market for nearly a year? After consulting with me, he sold the home in 30 days for $60,000 more than the highest bid. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are two examples of homes I have staged:

Examle 1: A Living Room

Before

AFTER

Example 2: AN OPEN FLOOR PLAN LIVING AND DINING

BEFORE

AFTER

2. What areas do you serve? I work all throughout the greater Baton Rouge metro area.

3. What are the Major Challenges of your business? The struggle for most sellers is understanding where and how to prioritize preparing their homes to be competitive. I am experienced in meeting the demands of today's buyers and completing the tasks in an economical and timely fashion. I understand that the majority of potential buyers are not able to visualize themselves in a home that lacks proper design and appealing decor. My goal is to see the home through the eyes of the buyer. I help the seller make the changes necessary within their budget. Sellers have approximately 3-5 seconds to make a great first impression on a buyer that could result in a quick sale for top dollar. An investment in home staging is much less than the price of a reduction and staged homes sell more quickly and for more money.

4. What Can People Expect? I will arrive at the home and immediately begin assessing the home's positive attributes while developing methods to downplay any possible problem areas. It does not have to be expensive and often involves utilizing the home-owners own belongings. Home staging goes well beyond the cleaning and tidying process. It's everything from de-cluttering, furniture placement, prioritizing repairs or even renting furniture and accessories for a vacant home. Staging allows the potential buyers to picture the house as their own. After making my assessment, I will present the sellers an estimate for the cost of my services and a plan for them to consider.

5. Who Are You....Your Personal Experience? Home staging and redesign are my passion. As a mother with an active family, I know how difficult it can be to see past the busy activity to find something that appeals to a buyer.

6. How Do You See the Future for Your Business? In the future I am planning to extend my services to include Home Organization Services where I will help homeowners de-clutter and organize tor more effective day-to-day living in their home.

Do you need help selling your Baton Rouge home? Staged homes sell more quickly and for more money! "I am committed to providing clients with affordable quality real estate home staging and redesign services in Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas." Andi Holliday, Owner Stage Presence LLC, Interior Redesing & Staging

Office Hours Monday - Friday 8:00 a. . to 5:00 p.m.

Phone 225-571-7627

www.stagepresence4u.com

Looking for a Baton Rouge Area Home?

Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC

Licensed in Louisiana

9-11 And It's Effects on All of Us as Oridnary U.S. Citizens

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:51:42 -0700

9-11: And It's Effects on All Ordinary U.S. Citizens

There were passangers on those airplanes who were mothers, and fathers, and business owners, and vacationers who were taking just another ordinary flight. Then the unexpected happened. There were New York business people, and visitors to the city, and emergency responders who would pay the ultimate sacrifice of their life for the act of war on the United States. The is burned forever in the minds of the American people. One of my foster sons was in Baton Rouge at the time and I rushed into his room and woke him and cried "We Are at War!" He said he will never forget the horrow on my face. Stop and remember. Where were you during 9-11? Did it change your perspective and life?

We have seen movies and film clips of the explosions and crumbling skyscrapers and the dust and smoke darkness it created and for those trapped in the twin towers at ground zero. One person, an American Airline Captain Steve Scheibner, had his life changed forever...not because he lost something, but because he should have been the captain on that flight 11 from Boston To Los Angeles that fateful morning:

Steve Scheibner was so changed by this experience that he wrote a book In My Seat. And 11 years later he shares he will never be the same again. Here in Baton Rouge we have an opportunity to hear his incredible story in person this weekend. He will be speaking at Istrouma church at Airline and I-12 at 9:15am and again at 10:45am. Steve will share in person how his life changed forever that day and how he never wants to forget.

Steve Scheibner In Person

September 16, 2012

Irtrouma

intersection of Airline Hwy and I-12, at 10500 Sam Rushing Drive. For directions, click here.

Are you looking for someone to clean your home in Baton Rouge?

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 09:14:04 -0700

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A HOME IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA?

Are you looking for someone to clean your home in Baton Rouge?

A conversation with April Aucoin, Owner of Like Mother, Like Daughter Home and Business Cleaning - guest of Ann Dail, Broker, Owner of Baton Rouge Area Homes, LLC

Services offered: I offer cleaning services to homes and businesses on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. I also offer one-time cleaning before you move in or move out and for special functions. Whatever your need, let me clean your home in Baton Rouge.

Services to come: In the near future, I plan to offer professional organizing services to help you take control of your surroundings and to declutter and clean your home in Baton Rouge.

Community Locations/People Served: My services are offered in the Greater Baton Rouge area, and include but are not limited to Central, Zachary, Prairieville and surrounding communities.

Going Green: Whereas traditional cleaning products can be used, I also offer "green" products, including Melaleuca to clean your home in Baton Rouge.

Words of Widsom: There truly is no better feeling than walking into a clean and fresh smelling home or office. It is the sense of knowing you have free time to spend with your family rather than the worry of cleaning. Leave that worry to me.

Personal Experience/Rewarding Part of My Business: I decided to go into this business after the birth of my second daughter. There is nothing more important to me than a clean and healthy environment for my family at home.

As a wife and mother, I have been fortunate to come into a business that allows me to do for others what I am doing for my own family. I have been cleaning homes, offices, and a church for the past 2 years. If you are looking for someone to clean your home in Baton Rouge, it will be my pleasure.

April Aucoin 225-270-6453 aaucoin01@bellsouth.net

New FHA Streamline Guideline Changes Went Into Effect Today.

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 10:38:00 -0700

This move should help numerous homeowners who were caught with an appraisal situation keeping them from re-financing to lower their payments.

If you are interested in finding out more about this possibility, we will be glad to discuss the possibilities with you further.

Via George Souto NMLS# 65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages Connecticut:

As of today anyone with a FHA Mortgage that has an FHA Case Number that received Endorsement on or before May 31, 2009, can refinance their FHA Mortgage under the new guidelines. Today the FHA Monthly Insurance (MI) reverted back from a 1.25 multiplier to a .55 multiplier, and the UpFront Premium from a 1.75% to .01%

Even with the interest rates as low as they have been refinancing has not been possible for many Homeowners for a couple of reasons:

Home values have dropped to a point that many properties do not have enough equity to be able to refinance. In many cases the value of the property is not only below what the homeowner paid for the property, but even below the remaining loan balance on the home.

The FHA Monthly Insurance (MI) increase from a .55 multiplier to a 1.25 multiplier, and the UpFront Premium from 1.000% to 1.750% greatly reduced the monthly mortgage payment savings to a point that it did not make since for a Homeowner to refinance.

With the changes that went into effect today, Homeowners with a FHA Mortgage that has a FHA Case Number that received Endorsement on or before May 31, 2009, can now receive the full benefit of today's lower interest rates. For example:

The difference between a monthly payment on a $100,000 mortgage at a .55 MI multiplier, and a 1.25 MI multiplier is $58.34 per month.

The difference between a monthly payment on a $100,000 mortgage at a 1.75% UpFront Fee and a .01% UpFront Fee is $8.06 per month.

That is a total of $66.40 per $100,000 mortgage. When that is added to the savings in the interest it can represent substantial savings. Further the homeowner does not have to be concerned with the value of the property because NO APPRAISAL is required

This will be a huge opportunity for many Homeowners with FHA Mortgage to finally take advantage of the lower interest rates. Hopefully this news will get out to these Homeowners who are eligible to take advantage of the change in FHA Streamline Guidelines today for Homeowner with a FHA Mortgage that has an FHA Case Number that received Endorsement on or before May 31, 2009. Below is the chart reflecting this change.

**********************************************************************************

Info about the author:

George Souto is a Loan Officer who can assist you with all your FHA, CHFA, and Conventional mortgage needs in Connecticut. George resides in Middlesex County which includes Middletown, Middlefield, Durham, Cromwell, Portland, Higganum, Haddam, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, and Essex. George can be contacted at (860) 573-1308 or gsouto@mccuemortgage.com

Stop playing games and get serious - Great SEO!

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:43:11 -0700

These points are right on! I am surprised how many do not understand the power of the internet. In my blogs on community activities some which get good SEO, I have been surprised to have over 5000 readers. I plant to restudy his points here and encourage others to do the same.

Via Joe Smith Great SEO Services that you can afford! (Nebraska Networks):

Hi Everyone,

Yes, it has been awhile since I put out a post. To be honest, my phones have been ringing around the clock since Google's last algo updates, or should I say "last muscle flexing" I thought about the millions of people who have been affected by what I would call mindless updates. Well, one thing for certain, they are keeping me in business! I told a long time customer some hard truth yesterday. I told him to stop playing games! I keep telling people that "what you got away with in the past won't fly anyjmore".

PLEASE DON'T READ THIS POST AND COMMENT JUST TO GET YOUR 10 POINTS. TAKE 10 MINUTES A DAY TO ENSURE THAT YOU SURVIVE THE NEXT GOOGLE UPDATE.

The fact is, the info I am putting out in this post would take the average person 10 minutes a day (consistently) to avoid being penalized or more likely TANKED by Google. This post will show you how to find out if you get to pass go and collect a paycheck, or if you go to jail while your competitors go on buying and selling.

My tips are completely FREE! All I ask is that when my tips work for you that you refer people you know who might benefit from using my services, or those who don't have a desire to become their own SEO expert to me. My tips work only if you invest the time to do them. Please subscribe to my blog for regular SEO Tips.

I guess the deal is I get tired of watching friends crash and burn because they refuse to take their websites visibility serously. In the popular board game "Monopoly" you are playing for paper money, and at the end of the day, regardless of how much money you won or lost, you laugh and go home. In the REAL game of "Business" we depend on the traffic from our websites to keep our businesses alive.

I have some good news, and some bad news for everyone. I will give you the bad news first so I can finish up with the good news and end on an encouraging note.

The bad news is that in the past few months, Google has released some very NASTY algorythms which have sent many people reeling, and many many websites tanked. Panda hit huge numbers of websites that were doing great into the depths of nowheresville (like page 20 or worse), Penguin followed up with what many felt was a death blow. What they DON'T know is that there is more coming.

This post will give you practical steps to take to tankproof your website. You can spend the time now to tidy things up, or you better be prepared to look to mailings and other forms of marketing while your websites are "recovering".

The best way to survive these algorythms is to understand what they do.

Here are some hints right from the horse's mouth. Here is what Matt Cutts of Google had to say about the Panda update.

"This update is designed to reduce rankings for low quality sites—sites which are low-value add for users, copy content from other websites or sites that are just not very useful. At the same time, it will provide better rankings for high quality sites—sites with original content and information such as research, in-depth reports, thoughtful analysis and so on."

Given the above statement, you can make the following assessment of the direction you need to go with your site in order to avoid being penalized. Just look at the things they targeted and avoid them!

They are:

Copy Content (duplicate content)... I know, I sound like a broken record!

Spammy keyword usage...

Sloppy linking practices

Mis-use of "anchor text" in links. (OVERUSE of the same anchor text)

There are more factors, but the above 4 are being the hardest hit on the internet right now. Save yourself
alot of time and money by checking to see if you violate these rules.

Here are the steps you can take GUARANTEED to find out if you are targeted.. Yes, I said GUARANTEED!

Go to Semrush.Com and enter your site name in the search box in the form of www.yourdomain.com
Look at the keywords semrush says your site is ranked for, and note the position they say you are in. Now go to google and search for those keywords. Where is your site? If it is not in the position semrush said it was in, you have been hit. Now it may not be that bad, but once you get hit, you can count on more scrutiny from them. A further check of your google analytics or your web stats will show you the same thing. Look for an UP-DOWN-UP-DOWN pattern in your traffic. Sometimes it can be as bad as daily. Don't just check once and assume you are fine. Check these regularly, especially if you see declining rankings.

I promised to end on a good note.. Here it is. If you detected a drop in your rankings, you can generally recover by simply fixing the issues. The number 1 problem I am finding in people's SEO is Duplicate content followed by bad link practices.

The GREAT news is that you can survive the google updates if you work smart and take the time to be proactive. Look at your SEO the same as you would returning a call from a lead.

My #1 rule for Great SEO is that you be PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE!

Have a great day, and here's to seeing you ALL at the TOP!

When you list a home, are you exposing your listings on all the top 10 consumer visited websites?

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:12:18 -0800

When you list a home, are you maximizing finding a buyer by exposing your listings on all the top 10 consumer visited websites? Sellers, and their agents need to expose their homes on all top 10 websites visited by consumers

The following date is taken from Hitwise website 3-3-2012

Top 10 visited Real Estate sites

The following report shows websites for the industry 'Business and Finance - Real Estate', ranked by Visits for the week ending 02/25/2012. RankWebsiteVisits Share

1.	Zillow	7.54%
2.	Realtor.com	7.12%
3.	Trulia.com	6.03%
4.	Yahoo! Real Estate	5.26%
5.	Homes.com	3.57%
6.	AOL Real Estate	1.67%
7.	Rent.com	1.47%
8.	MSN Real Estate	1.42%
9.	Apartment Guide	1.31%
10.	ZipRealty	1.23%

Top 10 visited US websites

The following report shows websites for the industry 'All Categories', ranked by Visits for the week ending 02/25/2012. RankWebsiteVisits Share

1.	Facebook	8.78%
2.	Google	8.22%
3.	YouTube	2.86%
4.	Yahoo! Mail	2.65%
5.	Yahoo!	2.33%
6.	Yahoo! Search	1.38%
7.	Bing	1.38%
8.	Gmail	1.20%
9.	msn	1.00%
10.	eBay	0.85%

This screen shot shows Hitwise's data on the top 10 visited U S Websites and the top 10 visited Real estate sites in the week ending 2/25/2012. Hitwise provides respected digital marketing intelligence for the online business community. This information means that you as a Seller or you as a Real Estate Agent representing a Seller of a home need ot assure that your home appears in the top 10 in both categories.

Here is a list of tough questions you should ask yourself, or your real estate agent:

1. Since homes are Real Estate, can you easily find yours on Zillow, the top visited real estate site? This recent survey shows it has now become #1 visited site, over taking Realtor.com. How does your listing appear there? Are there multiple pictures (more than 10)? Are the pictures clear and bright? Would you want to buy your home as shown there?

Baton Rouge Area Homes strives to stay on top of keeping your listings easy to find on Zillow.

2..Can you find your home in the other nine real estate sites, Realtor.com, Trulia.com, Yahoo!RealEstate, Homes.com, AOL Real Estate, Rent.com, MSN Real Estate, Apartment Guide, and Zip Realty? Some may not be appropriate on every site as homes for sale would not appear on Rent.com and vice versa. How about picture clarity? How many pictures? After viewing, would you want to buy your home unseen from its web presence?

Baton Rouge Area Homes places your home in ALL of the other top 10 sites as appropriate.

3. If a Realtor has a website, is it being found by search engines in the Top 10 Visited U S Websites? on google and yahoo and bing and msn....the top search engines? When does your property have a presence on Facebook and YouTube?

Baton Rouge Area Homes is at the top of 3 of the 4 major search engines!

While writing this post we did a search of to see how our website BatonRougeAreaHomes.com appeared in those critical top 10 visited websites. As you know placement can vary each time you do a search. We appeared in the search engines in the unpaid, #1 spot on first page of Bing and the#2 spot on the first page of Yahoo and MSN when someone looks for "Baton Rouge Homes". We are found ahead of the Top 10 visited Real Estate sites in Bing and ahead of all except Homes.com in Yahoo! We are usually on second page of Google, but are working to fix that. Occasionally we make it to page 1 of Google. For those of you who are visual, at the end of this blog is a copy of how we appear in the non-paid links on Yahoo and Bing and MSN today. We would be honored to serve your relocating clients into East or West Baton Rouge or the surrounding areas of Baker, Central, Denham Springs, Gonzales, Livingston, Prairieville, Walker, Watson, Zachary, or the Felicianas (St.Francisville).

search results for Baton Rouge Homes on the yahoo search engine

Search results 3-3-2012

Baton Rouge, LA Homes for Sale & Real Estate | Homes.com

Homes.com Baton Rouge, LA Real Estate: Search houses for sale and MLS listings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Local information: 1,109 homes for sale, 22 condos, 491 ...
www.homes.com/Real_Estate/LA/City/BATON%20ROUGE - Cached
More results from homes.com »
Baton Rouge Homes for Sale - Baton Rouge Homes for Sale and ...

Baton Rouge Homes is the most comprehensive web site available Baton Rouge homes and neighborhoods in the Baton Rouge Louisiana and the surrounding areas. Are you ...
www.batonrougeareahomes.com - Cached
Baton Rouge Real Estate - Find Homes in Baton Rouge at ...

Find Homes For Sale In the Louisiana parishes of East & West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and East & West Feliciana
www.realtor.com/batonrouge/nbregion.asp - Cached
More results from realtor.com »
Baton Rouge Real Estate & Baton Rouge Homes For Sale ...

Find Homes For Sale in Baton Rouge. Search Baton Rouge, Louisiana real estate, recently sold properties, foreclosures, new homes, school information and much more on ...
www.trulia.com/LA/Baton_Rouge - Cached
More results from trulia.com »

search results for Baton Rouge Homes.com on the bing search enging:

3-3-2012
Baton Rouge Homes for Sale - Baton Rouge Homes for Sale and Baton ...

Baton Rouge Homes is the most comprehensive web site available Baton Rouge homes and neighborhoods in the Baton Rouge Louisiana and the surrounding areas. …
www.batonrougeareahomes.com
Show more results from www.batonrougeareahomes.com
Baton Rouge, LA Homes for Sale & Real Estate | Homes.com

Homes.com Baton Rouge, LA Real Estate: Search houses for sale and MLS listings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Local information: 1,110 homes for sale, 22 condos, 491 ...

www.homes.com/Real_Estate/LA/City/BATON%20ROUGE
Baton Rouge Real Estate - Find Homes in Baton Rouge at REALTOR.com

Find Homes For Sale In the Louisiana parishes of East & West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and East & West Feliciana

www.realtor.com/batonrouge/nbregion.asp

Search Results for Baton Rouge Homes on the MSN Search Engine

3-3-2012
Baton Rouge, LA Homes for Sale & Real Estate | Homes.com

Homes.com Baton Rouge, LA Real Estate: Search houses for sale and MLS listings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Local information: 1,110 homes for sale, 22 condos, …

www.homes.com/Real_Estate/LA/City/BATON%20ROUGE
Baton Rouge Homes for Sale - Baton Rouge Homes for Sale and Baton ...

Baton Rouge Homes is the most comprehensive web site available Baton Rouge homes and neighborhoods in the Baton Rouge Louisiana and the surrounding …

www.batonrougeareahomes.com
Baton Rouge Real Estate - Find Homes in Baton Rouge at REALTOR.com

Find Homes For Sale In the Louisiana parishes of East & West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, and East & West Feliciana

www.realtor.com/batonrouge/nbregion.asp

FHA Appraisals, the 3 Categories which the appraiders check for minimum property standards

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:25:34 -0800

I get frequent questions about appraisals. This article outlines some of the things FHA appraisers look for that are different from conventional loans. The 3 categories are Safety, Security, and Soundness. If you are thinking about selling your home, take take to correct any problems in these areas before you list your home.

Via Michael S. Bolton-MN Appraiser (Michael S. Bolton,Inc.):

FHA guidelines state that a house has to meet MPR (minimum property standards) for existing houses, and MPS (minimum property requirements) for new construction. FHA is very concerned with the three S’s: Safety, Security, and Soundness.

When a Realtor was asked what the three FHA S's were, he replied, "Stupid, more stupid, and seriously stupid FHA appraisers," which I thought was pretty funny, however, a little off the mark. The three FHA S's have to do with the following:

Safety:

Per FHA, "Safety refers to the health, habitability and sanitary condition of the property." When determining what is safe and what is not, does involve some subjectivity on the appraiser's part, while other issues are pretty straight forward. Here is a list of the some of the most common safety issues that require correcting:

Any peeling or chipped paint on homes built prior to 1978

Holes in the fire door between the house and garage (doggy doors, missing dead bolts, etc.)

Missing or damaged handrails for full set of stairs.

Improper spacing of balusters for decks and balconies (would allow a child to climb in between the balusters).

2nd level sliding door not secured when there is no deck.

Exposed wiring and/or missing outlet covers.

Missing fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

Missing carpet over a wood sub floor (If carpet is missing over a concrete floor not an issue-FHA considers concrete to be a permanent floor; however, most lenders may want this addressed).

Broken or missing windows.

Some of the more challenging issues is what is considered to be minor deferred maintenance, that which doesn't need to be corrected. The appraiser is still required to note within the appraisal all the deficiencies with the property, thus giving the underwriter the final say. Here are some of the most common deferred maintenance issues that don't require an automatic repair:

Worn, dated, or sagging carpet.

Cracked windows (see detailed explanation).

Minor damaged interior walls or doors.

Minor plumbing leaks.

Shoddy workmanship.

Soundness:

This relates to the structure and structural components of the dwelling. These types of issues will have to be addressed, which they will either have to be repaired or certified by a professional that they're not a problem. Some of the most common structural issues that I've run across are the following:

Foundation problems (shifted and bowed walls, large cracks from settling).

Water damage to walls.

Roof beyond expected life of two years; more than 3 layers of roofing.

Decks not properly built to code.

Additions or basement finishing that wasn't properly built.

Security:

This is the most misunderstood of the three S's. Most assume that if refers to securing the property from the weather, and/or intruders. However, it actually refers to the properties ability to serve as collateral for the FHA insurance fund. The main point here is the marketability of the property to serve as collateral. Here's a list of some of the most common things that I've run into that can affect the marketability of a property is when it's:

Located near HV (high voltage) power lines (see detailed explanation).

Located near a municple sewage treatment plant.

Located near a major freeway or county road.

Located near a hazardous site or landfill.

Located near railroad tracks.

Just because the property is located near any of the above, doesn't automatically make it ineligible for FHA financing; however, the appraiser is going to have to be able to address the marketability of the property. The best way to do this is to find similar sales that were subject to the same type of issue(s). The appraiser would then have to be able to use those comparable sales within the appraisal report to help bracket the property, and at the same time meeting all of the lender's other guidelines and/or overlays.

If you are a real estate professional, mortgage consultant or real estate attorney please subscribe to my blog to get news and updates on residental appraisals, estate planning and tax changes:

If you have any questions, or Minnesota real estate appraisal needs (divorce, bankruptcy, tax appeal, or estate planning) please contact Michael at 612.599-2581, or use the form on the contact page.

Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Parades Kick Off this Weekend

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:59:28 -0800

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mardi Gras parades kick off this weekend with the 2012 CAAWS Mystic Krewe of Mutts Parade.

t's a family friendly parade with a good cause,.The entry fee of $25 for one person for one dog helps raise money for the Capital Area Aminal Welfare Society. This is a walking parade where dogs and their owners stroll along downtown Baton Rouge Louisiana streets in their finest Mardi Gras costumes. Each year has a special theme. The 2012 is a western theme "The Good, The Bad, and The Furry"

Imagine all the excitement of children seeing hundreds of dogs parade in front of them with owners throwing all kinds of toys and treets for them to chatch. And there are many colors and styles of costumes. The only limit is your imagination! Short dogs, tall dogs, excited dogs, calm dogs, pedigree dogs, mixed breeds, you will find just about evey kind here.

Today's parade begins at 10am and is over at 4pm. Ther will be music and bands and excited faces lining the parade route. I guess you just have to be there to catch a little of the excitement, so here is a video o f part of last year's parade:

Looking for a home in Baton Rouge? Search for Baton Rouge Homes.

Beautiful Property on 3.84 acres, stocked pond Rural Tract Baton Rouge

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:31:58 -0700

This beautiful property will not last long. The large bedrooms are a must see with an open floor plan. Needs a little Tender Loving Care or build the home you have dreamed of on this beautiful, quiet property. Come fish in the stocked pond .Country living in the city on 3.84 acres.

Wonderful 4 Bedroom Home in Oak Forest Subdivision in Baton Rouge

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:48:04 -0700

In the Monterrey area, this wonderful 4 bedroom home on approximately 1/3 acre next to Park Forest. Peaceful, shaded yard has a magnolia tree in the front yard. Privacy fence. Easy maintenance brick. New carpet has just been installed and it is clean and movein ready. A marvelous screened porch that provides extra outdoor living space for your family. Carport for 2 cars. Fenced back yard. The back yard of this 100x155 lot has lots of room. You can set up badmitten or practice soccer with this space

Hot Air Balloons Rise Over Baton Rouge Louisiana in the Annual Pennington Balloon Championships

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 11:47:58 -0700

There's still 2 days left as Hot Air Balloons Rise Over Baton Rouge Louisiana in the Annual Pennington Balloon Championships! You don't want to miss them this year!

THOSE MAGNIFICANT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES!! That title from a famous slapstick movie reminds me to what links man goes to conquer space and the skies. One of my favorite parts of the balloon festival is the guest appearance of the Airborne Parachute Demonstration Team. Have you ever wondered how they do it? Parachute out from helpcopters and planes so high up we can't even see them on the ground and then they land on a little target a foot wide on the field? Well its' high tech, folks. My son served in infantry airboren in the Army and it's amazing what they do. They make it look so easy. Here is a video clip of what it's like up there as a team lands inside a football stadium:

And the festival is for all ages. My grandsons love the Children's Village each year:

There are lots of inflatables. Also there are farm animals for the children to see and pet. And lots of games that vary each year like water balloons. Between balloon flights the kids don't have to just stand around waiting!

And the highlight about 9:30pm is the Fireworks display. So come join the fun at the Annual Pennington Balloon Championship 2011

And if you are looking for a Baton Rouge Home, we'd be honored to assist you.

Cast Your Vote...Pretty Please

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:47:30 -0700

This is the last week to cast your vote for the best new technology. When I considered the great, supportive community of real estate professionals in all aspects of the business, the wealth of knowledge, the great pictures, and the local information provided to people in communities all across our nation, I gave my vote to Active Rain.

Via Kerrie Greenhalgh (ActiveRain, Community Builder):

Inman News is holding their annual voting poll for the 2011 People's Choice Innovator Award. "The People's Choice award is intended to recognize a standout real estate-related technology".

Hmmmm.....which Community do I know that standouts from the rest? Ok, so it has to be real-estate related.....ok...um...geez....this is a toughie.....NOT!!!!!! ActiveRain baby!!!

Voting ends Friday, July 22nd so cast your vote for ActiveRain your favorite today!!! :)

With the World Cup Action this Month, You May Want to Check our Soccer in Your Area: Baton Rouge Louisiana

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 12:32:45 -0700

The U.S. Women's team has excited groups around the United States with the sport of soccer. You may want to check out local opportunities to give your children and grandchildren the opportunity to try out the sport of soccer. But they are too young, they are just toddlers! That's just the right time to expose them to different opportunities!

Now is the time to get involved and find a fall or winter league and let the fun begin! Baton Rouge Soccer Association has lots of programs including a fun Christmas camp.

Looking to relocate to Baton Rouge Louisiana? Or would you like to find a Baton Rouge home?

Try BREC Tennis in Baton Rouge, for kids on Easter Break

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:09:21 -0700

Try BREC tennis activites in Baton Rouge, LA, for kids on Easter Break

Are you 2 days into Easter break and your children are bored already? Try finishing the last 3 days at Highland Road tennis center. Worried that preschoolers are too young? No worry. They specialize in young students who have never picked up a racquet before.

And if you're students are more experienced, there are more challenging competitions too. BREC has lessons at HIghlnad Road and City Park. And the YMCA at Paula G. Manship has programs there as well..

So go tomorrow and finish the week with fun, healty excercise!

BREC schdule

YMCA schedule

It's Back! Downtown Baton Rouge's FREE "Live at Five"

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:10:41 -0700

Baton Rouge is alive and growing. This is just one of the many activities for residents to enjoy. The great weather is conducive to outdoor entertainment. It's easy to get to. Next to the river you can walk to other attractions like the USS Kid or Science Museum.

Via Lindsay Pendleton Marketing Agent Baton Rouge Property Management Company (Relocating To Baton Rouge & Surrounding Areas):

It’s back! “Live at Five” is starting up again in downtown Baton Rouge for 2011. Due to construction on North Boulevard, “Live at Five” has been moved to 3^rd Street & Spanish Town Road. Don’t worry, this location is only temporary but will run through May 27, 2011. If this stage move has you somewhat befuddled, they are offering a FREE CATS SHUTTLE that will be looping through the Arts & Entertainment district to drop people off closer to the concert site.

If you are not familiar with “Live at Five”, it’s time you get on board for some serious entertainment. “Live at Five” is a free, music event that is hosted by the Baton Rouge Downtown Business Association. “Live at Five” occurs each year during spring and fall…with each season having their own genre. If you have missed the past three weeks of “Live at
Five”, you still have six more weeks to get this fabulous, talented music fix.

“Live at Five in Downtown Baton Rouge”

Every Friday from 5 pm – 8 pm
at
AZ Young Park
3^rd Street & Spanish Town Rd.

April 22, 2011: No concert (wonk, wonk, wonk)
April 29, 2011: Phat Hat (party mix)
May 6, 2011: All Stars Blues Jam (Baton Rouge’s Blues Week)
May 13, 2011: After 8 (funk & rock)
May 20, 2011: United We Jam (variety)
May 27, 2011: David St. Romain (contemporary country)
(map photo from the downtown development district site)

Copyright © 2011- All Rights Reserved.

Easter Bunny Cake

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:59:10 -0700

It's time to bake that Easter Bunny Cake for this weekend. My boys loved it when they were growing up! This year I'm going yellow cake with chocolate icing. You can use any compination of cake and icing that your family loves:

I'm going to continue the tradition for my 2 grandsons this year, ages 4 and 5. After the egg hunt, a party with bunny cake

Ingredients for cake as shown in picture:

1 pkg. White Cake Mix

1 can Ready to Spread Vanilla Frosting

14 oz coconut

Food coloring

Chocolate chips

Jelly beans & red string licorice

Ingredients for Chocolate cake variation (You can change this to suite your family tastes, for example use german chocolate mix and frosting, etc.; here is plain chocolate):

1 pkg. White or Dutch chocolate cake mix

1 can Ready to Spread Chocolate Frosting

14 oz coconut and food coloring(this can be left off)

Real White chocolate chips

Jelly Beans and red string licorice

1. Prepare and bake cake in two 8 or 9 in. round cake pans as directed on package. Cool Completely. 2. Cut cake as shown in diagram 3. Frost sides of each cake piece. Assemble pieces as shown in diagrams on a cookie sheet, large tray, or 18x15 in cardboard covered with aluminimum foil. Frost top of cake. 4. (You can leave coconut off if desired) (If so you can leave out steps 5 and 8) Sprinkle about 2 2/3 cups coconut evenly over top and sdes of cake, gently pressing coconut onto sides. 5. Tint coconut in small bowl toss 3/4 cup coconut with 2 to 3 drops red food coloring until evenly colored. Repeat with 1/1/4 cups coconut and 2 to 3 drops green food coloring. 6. Sprinkle pink coconut over ears and bow tie. outline with chocolate chips. 7. Decorate bunny face as shown in photo. 8. Sprinle green coconut evenly around cake.

Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra Special Event, "One Perfect Night"

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:20:10 -0700

The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra is having a spicial event, April 28th, "One Perfect Night, Two Perfect Voices' featuring Denyce Graves and Salvatore Licitra.

The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to present the 11th Irene W. and C. B. Pennington Foundation Great Performers in Concert Series performance - "Two Perfect Voices - One Perfect Night," a brilliant evening of popular operatic favorites, April 28, 2011. Opera superstars, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and tenor Salvatore Licitra join the BRSO in their first ever joint concert appearance

An if you want special half-priced tickets visit Deal of the day and Buy Now!. YOU MUST PURCHASE TODAY APRIL 23RD TO GET THIS SPECIAL DISCOUNT.

Not familiar with Denyce Graves? Anyone who is a friend of Elmo and the Sesame Street gang must be a winner!

And the moving passion of Salvatore Licitra's performances will touch your heart. Here's a preview of his performance on the soundtrack of The Man Who Cried, Tribute to Salvador Dali.

So join the Symphony this Thursday for "One Perfect Night. Two Perfect Voices".

A Special Baton Rouge Area Home: One of America's Most Haunted

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:30:08 -0700

One of the most unique Baton Rouge Area Homes is haunted, or so some say. It dates to 1796 and is in St. Francis-ville, just north of Baton Rouge. It is an antebellum home on the National Registry of Homes, named The Myrtles Plantation.

I visited and stayed the night, but didn't get visited by ghosts as some do. It has 11 bed and breakfast rooms and an elegant restaurant, The carriage house, that serves gourmet meals. Of course the main attraction is the ghost tour at night unless a friendly ghost happens to visit your room during the night. The ghost of "Chloe, harmlessly hangs d sitting on the roof or standing on the veranda. She's quite a shy ghost though and disappears if approached too closely. Chloe was a slave girl and mistress of one of the plantation owners. She was jealous and controlling. Chloe accidently poisoned his children and wife in a scheme to gain the master's good will, but was hanged from one of the trees on the plantation instead. The plantation is supposedly the home of at leat 12 ghosts, making it one of America's Most Haunted Homes. It is reported that 10 murders occurred in the house, but records only indicate the murder of one.

It is a pleasant drive thru beautiful hill country to arrive at St.Francisville. So be sure and stay the night and meet some friendly ghosts.

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