Baton Rouge Area Homes Blog

Start the Christmas Season with a Hayride thru a Lighted Forest north of Baton Rouge

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:38:16 -0600

This weekend heralds many Christmas activities across our nation. I like to concentrate on those things that bring the whole family together and offer time to bond and discuss with my family what Christmas is all about.

Last year I stumbled upon a lighted forest just north of Baton Rouge in Central, Louisiana. It's at a riding stable, Fraziers Homestead, that converts it's almost 90 acre woods into a winter wonderland. Barns full of horses for the children to visit. Hot drinks like cider and chocolate to sip around a bon fire. Bundling up in blankets for a wagon ride thru the forest. All this makes a memory not soon to be forgotten. No tv, just old fashioned caroles sung by all.

Rides each weekend Dec. 4 & 5, Dec.11 & 12, and Dec.17 & 18 beginning at 6pm. Come out this year for a memorable trip thru the forest!

Christmas 2009 at LSU's Rural Life Museum

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:24:28 -0600

It's that time again, and LSU's Rural Life Museum comes to life as it was in the 1800's in Louisiana.

Here's a clip from the webpage:"Costumed re-enactors and artisans will perform various activities such as: candle making, soap making by Julia Hooker, blacksmithing by Karl Nettles, Rosary crafting by Elaine Bourque, textiles by Linda Hall, doll making by Monique Metrailer, and much more. .....
as we grow older we seem to forget what is was like growing up during much simpler times as in our youth. Smell the freshly cut greenery, from smilax vines, Ponderosa Pines and of course experience what's cooking in the period open hearth kitchen. A slice of gingerbread anyone?"

There will be gospel singing, wagon rides, food, and all will be capped off by an evening bonfire. You won't want to miss this year's activity.

Sunday, December 6, 2009 from 8:30 am until 6:00pm.

Interview by The Advocate, WBRZ News 2: Rural Life Christmas Video

Realtor's Fiduciary Responsiblilty to Mobile and Relocation Clients

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:30:47 -0600

This morning as I was reading a recent article from the NY Times "For Athletes in Motion, Real Estate Can Be a Burden", it re-emphized in my mind the importance of always advising all clients of the financial implications of investing in real estate. Having been around various aspects of real estate for many years including corporate consturction of plants and labs as well as sale of residential homes I have become acutely aware of our resposibility to advise clients of the full realm of possibilities, including what might happen in worst case scenarios such as at the end of a variable rate mortgage, or buying that dream home that will stretch their budget. It is too easy to get caught up in wanting to close the deal. While real estate can be a good investment, even in this market, it requires us to really help our clients analyze their long term needs.

I learned a hard lesson personally in a ReLo move from Ohio to California. Several years ago I moved from Ohio selling a home in a depressed housing market losing about $30,000 selling that Ohio home with a 16.5% mortgage. (Note my interest rate and we had excellent credit!) Coming out of that sale cash poor we bought a low end condo $150,000 in California as it was all we could afford since mortgage rates had risen to the 18% level by that time. Now that was before the chemical company who employed my husband began to guarantee transferees a break even that most of them give today. To get that low end starter condo, we got an ajustable rate mortgage fixed for 1 year. The first month our mortgage passed that starter rate our payments jumped nearly a thousand dollars with 6 month adjustment periods where they could continue to go up. Luckily we were in a boom California market so that condo went from $150,000 to 250,000 in that 12 months. We sold that property and bought another single family with a 30 yr fixed mortgage. Two more years and my husband was transferred again, but this time in a down market just before Orange County went bankrupt. By that time the company purchased the home and we moved to Texas with a break even. If our company had not matched our purchase price we would have been in position many of today's homeowners find themselves of being unable to sell a home in a transfer.

Here are some questions I try to ask my Relocating Buyers before I show them any homes:

1. How long do you think you will stay here? If the time is less than 2 years they need to be very careful where they buy and what they buy. For some it may be better to lease if their qualification only puts them in older fringe areas that are the most vulnerable in economic downturns.

2. What monthly house payment is comfortable for you? For most people that's less than they qualify for.

3. If the unexpected happens, how long can you survive financially? This makes people think of that reality

4. If you can't sell your home and break even are you willing to use some of your own money to sell & how much of your own money are you willing to lose? Are you able to keep it as a lease property? (The type of mortgage they choose may be influenced by this answer)

I tell my clients, "When you come back to me in 3-5 years and ask me to sell your home, I want to guide you so that we'll have the best possible chance to do that."

Just 1 Week Left! Don't Miss the Corn Maize

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:58:53 -0600

This fall I visited a corn maize for the first time. The Baton Rouge area corn maize is north of Denham Springs on Hwy.16. The maize is a journey thru the field with clues for your family to solve at each turn to help you not get lost. It engages every member of your family, even the younger ones. For example one of the clues involves singing the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and deciding the direction from that song. Threre are many other twists and turns; so don't go too close to dark unless you bring a flashlight! For the more adventursome there is a haunted trail after dark on some evenings. Call to be sure before you go.

In addiiton my family loved the puppets that sang songs in the barn area where everyone gathers to catch a "cow Train" There are 2 types of rides: one a fast train and the other a bucking cow train. This was a highlight of our trip.

Additionally, there are duck rases where plastic ducks compete on water flowing from old fashioned hand pumps. (It will use up lots of your family's extra energy pumping that water!)

Novel Decorating Idea: Frame Wallpaper to Give Splash of Color!

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:04:39 -0600

This morning I came across a novel idea I wanted to share. If you are looking to redo a room in staging your home for sale or just want to have a simple winter project to give a little color and light to a drab area, consider this tip from Southern Living Magazine's Anne Turner Carroll. Create Do-It-Yourself artwork by framing a colorful piece of wallpaper that you like. It's such an inexpensive and great tip that you can change up your color frequently! I am an avid reader of the magazine and highly recommend it. In the Nov.2009 issue (go get a copy for holdiay recipe ideas too) you'll find this tip plus many others for ways to "Wake Up a Tired Bedroom".

Existing Homeowners Also Get Tax Credit Break

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:05:31 -0600

Along with an extension of the existing 1st time homebuyers tax credit with a few minor changes, Obama is expected to sign into effect today, Friday Nov.6th a tax credit for existing homeowners. This credit will be $6500,, purchase contract to be dated before April 30, 2010 and after date President signs bill, must have used the home sold or being sold as a principal residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years, actual closing to occur before July 1, 2010. Complete summary of 2 bills by Nar

For a summary of the Basics of the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit, visit this article The Basics: Extended Home buyer TAx Credit 2009/2010

U.S. House passes Bill with Homebuyer tax credit Extended and expanded

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:09:37 -0600

This afternoon the bill extending the first time homebuyer credit passes the House with a 403-12 v0te. The President is expected to quickly sign it into effect.

The $24 billion package also contains extension of the unemployment benefits. The IRS says some 1.4 million people applied for the homebuyers credit through August, according the the Business Report. The legislation would extend the program through June of next year, as long as the buyer signs a contract by the end of Apr.il. It also offers a $6,500 tax credit to those who have lived in their current residence at least 5 years.

Mortgage Rumblings and The American Dream.

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:18:20 -0500

The American Dream: A Home for Every Family

Having been involved with real estate for several years, each time period offers a unique set of challenges. It seems now we are facing mortgage challenges as one of the biggest hurdles in our present business, whether it's avoiding foreclosure by helping financially strapped sellers sell before it happens, or counseling them about options available to them, or getting willing buyers approved for a home they wish to purchase. Our ability to close real estate deals today is challenged by the mortgage process itself in today's market (my opinion).

This past week I have been involved with 4 purchase contracts, and will be lucky if half of those make it to the closing table.

Previously, I felt comfortable to sit down and do a prequalifying discussion on an FHA or conventional or VA or rural development loan with the understanding that anything I did was simply a very rough estimate to be confirmed by a lender. Today I won't even attempt to do that but often make my first client meeting at the lender's office. The rates and rules seem to be changing daily so it's unrealistic for real estate agents to keep up; and may not be the best use of our time either. I try to stay in touch with trends in communities like Active Rain and Twitter, but leave the details to the mortgage professionals.

Last week I attended a training session on "Navigating the Waters of Short Sales and Foreclosures" funded by National Association of Realtors to educate those of us in the trenches as to what's happening nationwide and how to counsel our clients to cope. Louisiana foreclosure rate is 34th out of 50 (Good). I came away feeling blessed to live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where we are untouched compared to places like California and Florida where property foreclosures are high, job loss is severe, and values are dropping below mortgage payoffs. The high number of foreclosed properties has brought out a different type of buyer, the investor, who hopes for a deal that will appreciate in value in the future.

When we look at the present 30y fixed interest rates ranging from 5.0% to 6% which are at historic all time lows and stimulus bills like a $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit which is an unprecedented move to encourage homebuying,and state programs like Louisiana's bond offering an advance of $5000 of that credit to use a closing, why are we not seeing a better recovery rate? I think from what I see it is an ever increasing tightness of mortgage lending that keeps getting more and more difficult. For example, here in Louisiana this summer our state bond program allowed credit scores of 580 and above at higher interest rate with documentable income and a history of job stability for the buyer. In September that minimum score jumped to 620 leaving even some preapproved buyers stuck without a loan that could close. Now rumblings in the mortgage market talk about raising that score to 650 and above and some institutions have implemented it already. That's a minimum credit score jump of 70 points in less than 6 months. And we have gone back to many self-employed again being unable to secure mortgage financing even with high credit scores. Some of this is adjustment from 2002 thru 2005 where everyone was able to obtain a loan. Whether they could pay it back unfortunately wasn't examined in many cases. Are banks suddenly unwilling to take any risk in a scramble to make up for all the bad loans, thereby penalizing the average American citizen? And at what cost to the American economy? Has the pendulum swung too far to the conservative side? And I hope someone can correct me, but has commercial lending almost disappeared altogether??

And with the FED announcing that beginning Jan.1st they will stop buying mortgage backed securities, the interest rates will go up. In 1980 the average national intrest rate was 16.63% so we can slide upward a long way, folks.

And the U.S. congress is struggling with what to do. So far band-aids like the $8000 tax credit have given some help to a few, but is it short term relief while the "sticker still festers?" Claudette Millette of Active Rain alerted us to the New Housing Bill to Force Loan Modifications. Now in the foreclosure class we learned that the success rate on loan modifications is low...only 25%, meaning 75% still go on into foreclosure at some future time. But at least 25% did get to stay in their homes and banks avoided costly foreclosure on those! These actions garner mixed reviews, but if the banking industry doesn't act on it's own to help with this problem, it seems certain that the government will step in and do something...Anything!

So what have we learned in the past 2064 years?

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."
- Cicero - 55 BC

(Source of statistics: Grant Simon, GRI, Instructor "Navigating the Waters of Short Sales & Foreclosures" and RealtyTrac)

$8000 Tax Credit News: The State of Louisiana is now offering a mechanism for Homebuyers to use the credit at closing

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:39:50 -0500

While FHA policy was revised to allow the new tax credit (up to $8000) to be taken at the closing instead of waiting after closing and rrequiring a tax revision filing to collect the $8000, there was not a lender offering the second mortgage to do this. With the new bond issue at the end of August, Louisiana has now set up a mechanism. The following is the detail from their website:

Low Rate - Homebuyer Tax Credit Program Loans:
Low Rate - Homebuyer Tax Credit Program will bear an interest rate at 5.60%. This program will advance up to $5,000 per loan for down payment, closing costs, and prepaid items. The borrower must qualify for the $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit. There will be a second mortgage executed with this program and must close on or before 11/30/09. After the initial deferral period through 6/30/10, the loan will fully amortize over ten years, starting with payments 8/1/10, with an interest rate of 7.60% unless the Agency is repaid in full with the borrowers federal tax refund. The second morgage loan payment must be included in the Debt to Income Ratio. This program will require a $100 Application Fee in addition to the $75 Compliance Fee. A Homebuyer Tax Credit Program Disclosure is required detailing the information on the terms of the loan, the tax credit, and the option to repay LHFA through the federal tax credit.

The Baton Rouge Community is Cordially Invited Back to School!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:41:01 -0500

Now that East Baton Rouge area parents and students have adjusted to the first weeks of school, it's time to take a look at some of the progress. PEP, the Public Education Project, cordially invites all parents to an open house and School tour.

The Dufrocq School- Open House and School Tour
Thursday, August 27th
4:30-6:30 pm
330 South 19th Street (At Government Street)

Come see your tax dollars at work! Originally built in the 1920s, The new Dufrocq School has just opened after a 2 year, $20 million renovation and expansion. The school's students are in grades K-5, and the expansion of course offerings includes Montessori and academic magnet programs.

For more information, contact Chris Trahan at (225) 922-5620 or ctrahan@ebrschools.org

Historic NY Family Home Goes on Sale: 182 Clinton Street Where 1st AA Meeting Held & Lois W., Cofounder of Alanon Family Groups, grew Up

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:07:06 -0500

Brooklyn Heights in New York City with its quaint streets and brownstones is filled with history. One of the residences 182 Clinton Street, has recently been remodeled and listed for sale for $2.995 million by the Corcoran Group. What many may not realize about this luxury property, is that it is steeped with history as it was where the first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting was held in 1935. The home was owned by Clark Burnham, a gynecologist and surgeon, who had a daughter Lois who later married Bill W. the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Bill and Lois' love story and their family struggles with the disease of alcoholism laid the foundations of the AA and Alanon programs they started which have helped many families cope with this disease.

Hot Air Balloon Championships Aug.7-9 Baton Rouge, LA

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:07:50 -0500

This is one weekend I look forward to all year long: when the Pennington hot air balloon championships come to Baton Rouge Louisiana.

This year there will be other special features: The Black Daggers parachute Team, the official U.S. Army Special Op Command Parachute Demonstration Team will perform live aerial demonstrations. After their demonstration, the skies will glow with spectacular fireworks on Friday and Saturday night following the balloon glow.

There will be many other events such as the Balloon Glow in the evenings after sunset where the balloons look like huge lighted ornaments.

And returning again this year the BREC's Children's Village will be fun for the entire family.

And one of Baton Rouge's own appraisers, Harry Moran will be taking to the skies as usual in his colorful balloon "Zephyrus". Now Harry flies early every morning in the top competition, so you may miss him if you wait around to find him in the evenings for "balloon glow".

Come on out this year. Don't miss the fun!

The Special Moments of Meeting an Active Rain friend in Person

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:28:49 -0500

This past weekend I was thrilled to receive a phone call from one of my Active Rain friends who was on her homeymoon in the New Orleans area. She was passing back thru Baton Rouge and wanted to meet up so we could get to know each other better.

That's my San Antonio friend Judy Morgan on the left. Now would you just look where Judy put her hand! Right inside that Gator's mouth. She comes from Louisiana so you would think she knows better than to get that close to a Gator's mouth. Maybe it was one too many cocktails.

Now I can hardly wait to see what the 2 of us will come up with when I visit her in San Antonio to see the River Walk again.

After a delightful evening of reminiscing about our roots (Judy's from Louisiana living in Texas and I'm from Texas living in Louisiana), we did do a bit of business and compared new construction in our parts of the country. We got out our PDA's and took some photos. Mine's a Blackberry Bold that I dont know how to use yet. So I was unsuccessful in sending her these pictures to her phone. She was sitting across the table from me so we knew it didn't work. Guess I have to make another trip to the "Crackberry" store for some help.

Next time you travel, don't forget to hook up with some Active Rain friends in person!

Blackberry Bold versus iPhone for Real Estate

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:20:03 -0500

Via Jordan Nilsen (REtechy):

[originally posted on REtechy.com]

Advances in technology make using a smartphone a requisite for any real estate agent worth her/his weight. Many options are available, but two phones have risen to the top of the smartphone food-chain.

Is the Blackberry Bold or iPhone better for business?

How the heck can I answer that without subjecting myself to hostility? I can tell you this though - the Blackberry Bold is the best Blackberry ever created. The Bold was designed for business use and boasts features the iPhone does not have including: ability to edit documents & video recording. The Blackberry Bold’s security also makes a compelling argument. The Blackberry is a preferred phone for Supra eKEY (GE Security); BlackBerry users can now join the thousands of real estate professionals already enjoying the timesaving benefits of eKEY service on their Palm and Windows smartphones.

Before you go buying a Blackberry Bold let’s talk about the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone is the 2nd sexiest thing I have ever held (1st is you honey). The UI is beautiful, the web browser blows Blackberry out of the water, and did I mention it was sexy? Apple’s App store for the iPhone holds many great real estate related applications, with new ones churned out all the time.

Let’s remember the iPhone is designed for the consumer; you can hail cabs, order groceries, make fart sounds all from your iPhone. The developer community supporting iPhone applications is large and active. If you fall in love with an application, or two, the iPhone may prove to be the best phone for your needs.

FHA Will Allow $8000 Homebuyer Tax Credit to be Taken at Closing as Down Payment

Thu, 14 May 2009 11:24:07 -0500

Tuesday evening Realtors across the country received some exciting news. Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development said FHA is going to permit its lenders to allow homeownrs to use the $8000 1st Time Homebuyer Tax Credit at closing for down payment and other costs rather than waiting to receive the credit later after closing. It will take some time for this to be worked into actual practice. Locally here in Baton Rouge as of Thurs. morning, I have not found a lender where this has filtered down, but it should be just a matter of time. Banks must work out terms of that credit. It will be allowed as a bridge loan, so interest rates, lenght of term , creidt scores to qualify, etc. must all be worked out by each FHA lender as to what risk they will accept.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: 5-7-09 5pm: It appears that HUD has pulled/rescinded their Mortgagee Letter 2009-15 which allowed this credit to be taken as a bridge loan until further review. More news as it becomes available.

Wordless Wednesday "Grammy"

Wed, 13 May 2009 15:26:02 -0500

Questions about 1st Time Homebuyer $8000 Credit Explained

Wed, 13 May 2009 14:58:28 -0500

Now that the dust has settled, many are seeking homes to take advantage of the new $8000 tax credit. If you are wondering are there salary limits, is it refundable if I don't own that much tax, what type of home can it be used on, etc. watch this video released by the New American Home Buyers Association:

The 4 Stages of a Typical Twitter User

Tue, 12 May 2009 15:58:52 -0500

I have received numerous comments on my Twitter posts with Rainers saying "I don't get it", to "I just generated my first Twitter deal!" Some of you asked me what I get from Twitter. Today I came across an article by Jason Hiner from a Twitter_Tips tweet that put my personal experience into focus: Sanity Check: The four stages of a typical Twitter user. How long you stay in each of these stages varies from user to user. Where are You?

Stage 1 Confusion and Indignation. This is certainly where I began. I logged on and, being obcessive, read every word or every post I followed. Soon I began to be frustrated as this is a different media than email. What really got me to thinking about Twitter was a Rainer I respect, Debra Drummond, Michigan Moves Real Estate, who did a series of posts on Twitter for beginners. Shortly after that, Active Rain radio had a program that grabbed my attention featuring Rich Jacobson, Paul Chaney, Kim Wood, and Jeremy Blanton called Twitter Gone Wild. I have gone back and listened to it several times! Now Active Rain radio features Twitter Tuesday Radio with different guests. Are you guys aware of what a great resource we have right here on Active Rain to make Twitter an effective tool?

Stage 2: The first "Aha!" moment The second week I was on Twitter Baton Rouge had it's first Tweetup. I went and met 20 people I would never have connected with anywhere else! Then that week I needed a photo editor to do a feature my photo editors couldn't handle, so I sent a Twitter to my 40 followers. Aha! Two of them (LSU techies) sent me links to free software that did just what I needed. I was sold that this had value if I could just figure out how to manate it with the 1000 other things I had to do each day! About week 2 into my experience I began to notice that news about Baton Rouge appeared before it even hit the tv or newspapers. For example, closing of roads or local events and activities in the area. I began to use websites like Twilert and Nearbytweets and LocalTweeps to find local Twitterers. They begin to follwo Twitter_Tips and localtweeps and social media experts like Mashable and other Twitter learning tools.

Stage 3: Remembering to tweet Here a user begins to check more often. They find news links and local and special interest groups to connect with. They begin to find information and think "I'll post that on Twitter". Others begin to follow their psots. They begin to interact with friends, and national interest groups, and news. When they are creating blogs and find other news, they begin in think "I'll post that on Twitter". I created a "Technology Blog" and included articles by myself and others to help agents get into Twitter and other technology to improve their business. Here the Twitter user is primarily using Twitter.com

Stage 4: Thinking in 140 characters By now the user is a daily Twitterer. Posts come daily or more frequently. They learn tricks like using url shorteners such as "is.gd" or "tinyurl" to shorten URL's so they can share information in 140 characters or less. Now their sphere of people they follow is expanding and those following them is expanding too. They are hooked on Twitter and begin to look for an iPhone or Blackberry to more easily interact with Twitter during the day. They link to Twitter improving tools like Twitpic so they can enrich their Tweets for their followers. Some create and share music or videos. They move "out of the box" and begin to interact with humorous posts, self-transparancy posts, and begin to embrace their online presence. This is the stage where they add Twitter inks to their FaceBook pages, their blogs, and websites. They Tweet at events and take pictures of restaurants and events they attend and post an ongoing stream of their life. They associate with Social Media experts like Paul Chaney here on Twitter. They join Active Rain groups like Social Media Marketing and Twitter and others.

What stage of Twitter are you in????

Battle of the Stixx May 16th and 17th, 2009

Mon, 11 May 2009 12:57:09 -0500

USSSA QUALIFIER. DOUBLE POINTS WEEKEND!

May 16th & 17th, 2009

Walker Parks & Recreation

13740 Ball Park Road

Walker, LA 70785

225-485-8717 225-328-6334

www.louisianastixx.com

bclaverie@cox.net or info@louisianastixx.com

Are you pumped and ready to compete in baseball? You can enter this Baseball Tournament next weekent! Louisiana Stixx is hosting this USSSA Qualifier in Walker, Louisiana. Each age division will be spearated by class, if enough teams enter in the same class. All teams are welcome. Don't miss this opportunity for a fun 2 days!

20 Great iPhone Tips and Tricks

Wed, 06 May 2009 15:51:46 -0500

I was struggling with moving around apps when I came across an article with just the tip I needed. You can Force quit an app by holding the Home button for 4-8 seconds while in an application. Ever needed a screen shop? Ever need to change your iPod default icons? Yappler gives 20 Great iPhone Tipws and Tricks you can use:

http://ow.ly/4uVd

Look at these stats on Twitter. Wow!

Wed, 06 May 2009 15:39:51 -0500

I came across an interesting news blog in Online Media Daily speculating about Apple's interest buying Twitter as a tie-in for iPhone. Laurie Sullivan writes:

"As for Twitter, Compete estimates that 14 million people visited twitter.com in March, up 76% from February and a whopping 14 times more than March last year. This doesn't include those who rely on software apps like TweetDeck or Seesmic. The site already attracts more people than Ticketmaster, The Wall Street Journal and LinkedIn. The keyword "Twitter" had more search queries than "American Idol" and "IRS" across the top search engines last month...."

WOW! Now all you Twitter skeptics, how can a site that attracts more business than Ticketmaster be useless?

Donald Trump's Advice for Today's Economy: Buy Real Estate

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:33:13 -0500

Today I was glad to see some positive national news about real estate. Most headlines tout foreclosure rates and other negative spins of real estate. Today ABC featured Donald Trump on "Good Morning America". His Advice: This is a Great Time to Buy Real Estate. Now that's something all of us as real estate professionals have known; but it's nice to see some positive national attention to the subject! Maybe NAR should hire him as their PR representative for this year! "Think like a Champion" he says. If lenders are reluctant to give you a loan, go buy a home from a bank where they foreclosed on it. They are more willing to work with you then.

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY......TAX ASSESSOR, APPRAISER, MORTGAGE LENDER, YOU

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 15:32:12 -0500

When I opened my mail this afternoon, this made me laugh so hard that I wanted to share it with those of you who might have missed it. I recently had 3 situations that caused me to identify with these pictures. Once was a short sale where the BPO came in way off. Another was an appraisal where everyone expected a higher value, even the lender and no one could figure how the lender chose the comps. The third was several instances in our market where the tax assessor has come in and reevaluated neighborhoods drastically increasing our taxes.

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY YOU.....

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY YOUR BUYER....

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY YOUR MORTGAGE LENDER.....

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY YOUR APPRAISER.....

YOUR HOUSE AS SEEN BY YOUR TAX ASSESSOR.....

Public Schools in Ascension Parish, Louisiana

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:04:30 -0500

For those moving to Prairieville, or Gonzales, or other areas of Ascension Parish, the school's website is a great source of information on public school district boundaries. You can click on and view the attendance boundaries of various public elementary schools and feeder schools for the high schools.

There are numerous sources such as Standard and Poor's or paid webistes to get a comparison of school performance, but be aware many of these ratings are based on past statistics so be careful as you evaluate various choices. Last August ACT Scores Properlled Ascension into the Top 5 ranking in the state of Louisiana. "When compared to the 70 public school districts across the state, Ascension scored exceptionally well ranking fifth. St. Tammany led the state with a score of 21.7, followed by Lafayette, Central Community, and Catahoula. Livingston and Ouachita parishes also ranked fifth with a score of 20.7." In Feb. 2009 Gonzales Middle School and Lowery Elementary School were both named as Top Implementation Schools for PBS (Positive Behavior Support) statewide.

Ascension Parish is a growing area with much to offer its residents.

2nd Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday April 11, 11am

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:49:30 -0500

Come Saturday, April 11, 2009, from 11am to 1pm. Located at the Istrouma campus which is near intersection of Airline Hwy & I-12 at 10500 Sam Rushing Blvd. There will be several hunts divided into age groups. Other activities include games and play areas.

FREE food, games, and prizes. Fun for the whole family. This event open to everyone.

Don't miss this opportunity for family fun sponsored by Istrouma church.