Holiday Sales and real estate - 09/29/06 11:00 PM
I got an accepted contract today to close on Haloween for a client today. It made me think fo the other neat things I have had happened on holidays. I remember selling one of my own listing one 4th of July before I went on a picnic. I have had closing on the day before Xmas and on New Years Eve. I have written contract on Mardi Gras day which is a big holiday here and everything is closed. We wrote it before going to the parades. I wrote one with George 7-8 years ago when everyone had evacuated for a hurricane.He called me and said he had cabin … (1 comments)

New Orleans Condo Conversions,Old Homes to Condos - 09/28/06 07:01 PM
One of the nice things about a mature market is many of the old homes from the late 1800s are being saved and turned into condos as these downtown areas come back. The 14' ceiling, 10' windows, pockets doors, fireplaces, porches, wood floors, balconies are being renovated for the young professionals to enjoy. The crown molding and restored woodwork really give these old house a new life. We need this trend to continue. Cities and States should all look to tax breaks and deductions to offset a developers cost of restoring these prperties. This is a great saver of wood, gas, entergy, and materials. … (0 comments)

Before Real Estate, what did you do? - 09/27/06 09:44 PM
Most of us have had other careers before we got into real estate. I was in supermarket sales before real estate. I traveled quite a bit along the gulf coast from Lake Charles, La. to Destin, Fla. we worked long hours, nites and weekends. I had 30-35 sales people working for me at times. You had to worry about there welfare and make sure they did a good job for the business that we had. The hours made real estate look great. A retail backround really helps in real estate. I was in sales so was used to being rejected and tried not … (8 comments)

Great real estate gadget, GPS maps for your car!! - 09/26/06 10:57 PM
This past year I got a new Toyota Avalon and with it I got the GPS map as a real estate toy. Its been great even though I usually know where I am going. Its been a great help to be in finding some streets. I used it today as many street signs have disapeared and streets are not easy to find with missing signs even if you know the streets. Its a neat gadget for a real estate agent. do you have one?
… (2 comments)

New Orleans Saints 23 Dirty Birds of Atlanta 3 - 09/25/06 11:35 PM
Wow! we all took half a day off, what an emotional game for the Saints fans. I bet "Buddy D" and "Hap G." enjoyed this one. I am drained but will write a short blog. New Orleans gets into football more than most. You have to remember we have won one playoff game. For tonite we were world beaters. Not much real estate was done but had some good luck. A guy from U.K. emailed me about buying a condo and he picked one out from my list. He had lived there 20 years ago when 1750 St. Charles was an apt. complex. I couldn't remember … (6 comments)

Destrehan Real Estate, New Orleans Metro - 09/25/06 05:01 PM
Destrehan has been here since 1792 when Destrehan Plantation was the only home is St. Charles Parish. Today its a great place to live in the Metro area. Two of my kids live there because of the family atmosphere and the prices are lower and the homes are newer. The East Bank has grown all it can grow but the west bank still has lots of room. … (0 comments)

Louisiana Alligator Season Open - 09/25/06 10:31 AM
Alligator season is in full swing. Living in the city you do not think about hunting alligators 30 minutes away. It is a 40 million dollar industry here in south Louisiana. 29,000 to 30,000 will be tagged and caught this year. It is a controlled hunt where each gator will be tagged. Did you know that gator hide is 20 times as strong as leather. the skins are sold mostly in Europe and the meat eaten here as fryed alligator or in gumbo.This hunt accounts for 80% of the hide sales in this country.They must just watch them in Florida. There … (12 comments)

Condos for university students while in New Orleans - 09/24/06 06:59 PM
If you are going to one of the local Universities for college then you should think about buying a condo for your stay. Why pay rent when you or your parents can be paying your self. You are lucky to get something nice in the New Orleans Uptown market. Think of paying $800 per month for 4-5 years. That adds up to 38,000 to 48,000 for the time you are here. The appreciation rate has easily been 5% per year over the last 6-7 years. That means if you buy a condo, you will more than likley have a gain when you … (3 comments)

New Orleans, The Port is a big deal!!!! - 09/23/06 08:08 PM
I live about 10 blocks from the Mississippi River. Most of you may not know that New Orleans and South Louisiana is a major entry point into the US. It is the number one port in the US for bulk cargo. This means things like steel, coffee, oil products, chickens, wheat, corn and much more. It is a major employer for the region. Upriver and downriver is a large concentration of refinery's that service the midwest and east coast. The levee separates the river from the nearby neighborhoods. Its a great place to look for driftwood that may have come from St. Paul or St. … (2 comments)

Feature your listings on your website! Sellers love It !!! - 09/23/06 06:57 PM
Most of us have a website but do we list our listings on the site. If your site has the flexibility you can do a nice review of the property by creating a separate page for each listing. You can use whatever photos you desire. They will be larger and of better quality than that of the local mls. You can give neighborhood info as you wish along with maps ect. The sellers will always like it. You can add the features they care about. I always make flyers for my properties and use the back of the flyer to advertise … (2 comments)

Website Placement, Google still #1 place to be by far! - 09/22/06 05:34 PM
Having a website that is ranked on the various search engines is a key for traffic. Google is the one to be on because they will drive you the most traffic by a wide margin. When people want to find something the majority go to google even if they have a yahoo or msn account. The goal is to get to the first page of google so your site can be seen. The google adwords is very simple if you want to test how your site will do when people do see it. Having a site with local content is a … (0 comments)

Power of internet website! Always amazing! Bella the dog? - 09/21/06 09:42 PM
 256-479-1550comments: We are looking for info on who our Katrina rescue might have belonged to. She was rescued in the Lakeview area and had eluded her rescuers for 4+ months until being trapped on Christmas Day. We love our girl and take exceptional care of her. We are not looking for herprevious owners because we want to part with her, but rather to let them know she is safe and living a life of royalty. Can you help us, please?Bella is a GS/Husky mix, approx. 3 years old per our vet, and weighs 43 lbs. She has a scar on her … (2 comments)

Street names, Where did they come from? Great Selections - 09/21/06 07:45 PM
Does your town have street names that tell about the place? People had to name them something but some seem to be way out today. You have to be a great speller to remember many of the anmes here. Coming down St. Charles Ave which is named after King Charles where many of the English settled in the earlier days you run into the names like Erato, Thalia, Melpomene, Tersichore, Euterpe, Urania, Polymnia, Felicity, Chippewa,St. James, St. Mary, and St. Andrew. The list can go on for blocks. Who named these streets? i like the idea that the names are not changed. … (1 comments)

New Orleans Courtyards - 09/21/06 07:22 PM
Courtyards in New Orleans are an intriguing part of the historic real estate market. With a subtropical climate everything grows that likes water. Many of the apartments in the French Quarter and Uptowns have very creative courtyards that give you the feel you are miles from a city. Goldfish ponds, running water and water lilies add to the courtyard scene. What better place to have a glass of wine after a hard days work. The courtyards are mostly hidden so you will to look hard. Another unique feature of this city that needs to be preserved.Ever been to Pat Obrien's Courtyard. … (5 comments)

New Orleans Map, on Hilton Parking garage - 09/20/06 09:46 PM

Some creative sole wanted to map out the downtown area on the side of a parking garage. The point is the downtown area is very small. There are several hundred years of history in the painting. You can see the convertion center above the exit sign where the Real Estate Convvention will be in November. The French quarter is on the far left. it s a mix of the old and the new. In the background is the Mississippi River Bridge which is a new comer to the area. The ferries still run daily between the east and west bank. The point is … (3 comments)

Its your business, how do you dress for real estate - 09/20/06 05:52 PM
Realtors are professional and should dress the part. The days of coats and ties are gone for guys in real estate. This does not mean wearing shorts and t-shirts is in at least in this market. Most of the agents in this market dress well. It can really get hot and humid here in the summer and early fall. I read another blog which gave me the idea to see how the active rain users dressed. I keep it simple with logo golf shirts and pants. Women have many more choices and they like it that way. You need to look … (4 comments)

Website leads, pick up the phone and call them - 09/20/06 03:36 PM
Getting website leads is great but you have to followup with them. I send them a followup e-mail as soon as possible asking questions about their particular inquiry. Often time I just pick up the phone and call them.It has been almost 100% positive response. Usually get a response like that was "unreal to get a call back that quick" It just help cement the relationship with your prospective client and yourself. Its also makes for a good start and you can skip a couple of e-mails and ask them some questions. It has become natural sequence and has proven to be successful … (26 comments)

St. Charles Ave. Streetcar Line New Orleans, Missing them! - 09/19/06 11:13 PM

One of the things I miss is the St. Charles Ave. Streetcar line. Katrina knocked out the line. The tree lined Ave lost a lot of trees. Many of the trees and limbs fell on the century old line knocking it out of commission for over a year. Power poles, guide wires, and street lamps were all destroyed to a certain degree. The cars were saved as they were on high ground. The same cannot be said of the Canal Line where all the historic cars did flood. They are being put back togeather as I write. It is one of the … (2 comments)

Curb Appeal is important? - 09/19/06 10:41 PM

Getting your yard ready to sell means more calls to see the home. This is an area where you can spend little and have a large return. It says something about how the house has been kept. Flowers and plants give the house some color and makes it look like a home. We talk a lot about staging the inside, but the outside is extremely important. Hire a gardner to get your home ready?
… (10 comments)

New Orleans Saints go 2-0, first home game since 2004 seaon next Monday - 09/18/06 08:05 PM
Saints suprise everyone and go 2-0 in their first 2 road games. This is a big football town even though we have never had a big winner. The team has sold out the Super Dome with season tickets with half the citys population having washed elsewhere. We will be playing the arch rivals Atlanta Falcons on Monday nite football. This is much like a Super Bowl for the fans. New coach, new players, Reggie Bush and much excitement for a regular game. It will be loud and hope the game is good. Not the best team but we can holler with the … (2 comments)

Internet news for websites, Check it out. - 09/17/06 10:29 PM
Your Weekly Step Forth :: September 13th 2006 , this is a great resource for those of you who are wanting to learn a little more about your website and some of the things going on in that world. It has some really in-depth articles on a weekly basis. Its not from a real estate view but well worthy of rreadin each week. Check it out. It is sometimes over my head but most of the time its very well written. Any of you get this? … (0 comments)

Realtors Hobbies, Common Hobbies? - 09/17/06 08:50 PM

We all have our hobbies as realtors. Three of mine happen to be useful with my job. I enjoy taking photos and fooling with them. That has helped me put togeather two websites loaded with visual aspects of area real estate. I can use it everyday with flyers ect. The second is plants which I get to see in plenty of yards. its a great way to start a conversion if you know what most of them are. You can take cuttings from the various yards with the owners permission. They are more than happy to give you a tour and help you … (10 comments)

Best time to show? Love those early showings!!! - 09/17/06 11:42 AM

Took this early morning photo while waiting for a client. Thought about how great it was to show in the morning before your day gets hectic. I wish we could spread them out more then we do. Looking at my schedule for Monday and notice I have 3 people want to look after work. On top of that I have somewhere else I am going that is important to me. I will schedule them at different times throughout the week. You have to work around schedules? Just wish this part of our business could be scheduled first thing.
… (7 comments)

Treating clients equally? Both leads will be worked! - 09/15/06 11:19 PM
probably want to stay under 800,000
comments: 2 bedroom condo.Price range (below $150,000)
Got two leads today. Above is the responses as to the price ranges that the clients are looking for. To be honest you do think about them differently. The response and treatment of the two from a professional stand point have been the same to date. I have takled to Kevin the 150k buyer already. He thanked me for responding so quickly. We have already e-mailed each other several times and have picked a condo to look at. His choices are limited. Alan the more expensive buyer has asked me … (1 comments)

Active Rain Blogs or Forums? - 09/15/06 04:32 PM
The blogs seem to be the big winner. You can express your self in detail and get comments back. You can add photos. You can open to the public your ideas and areas of expertise. You can link your blog to your site. You do not get points on the forum. You get your blogs read.Then you may ask why have the forums? Bolgs can either be short or long. The comments act like a response in the forums. Leave the forums as a past tool or reform it?  … (4 comments)

It will cost less to build a house next Year? Commodity Prices Down? - 09/15/06 04:18 PM
I think we will see prices of newer home drop because of the drop in commodity prices. Many of the things that go into making a home are coming down. Oil, Copper, energy,shingles, lumber and a variety of materails. How will this effect the market? You will also have less demand for labor and it will be more competitive does anyone else see this happening? There is always a lag time in forcasting. Supply and demand at work. How will this effect your market? … (1 comments)

Fema keeps things so simple? - 09/13/06 11:36 PM
How do I determine what Advisory Base Flood Elevation (ABFE) applies to my property? The Katrina Recovery Maps depict ABFEs (that is, elevations that FEMA recommends be used for rebuilding) for defined areas or zones. The visual appearance of these advisory zones and elevations was intentionally made similar to the format of flood hazard data shown FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). [Note: Individuals unfamiliar with FIRMs can view the online tutorial, “How to Read a Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM).”]
On the Katrina Recovery Maps, each ABFE zone is outlined in yellow and is labeled with the applicable advisory flood zone … (4 comments)

Selling Site Unseen, Unusual or the norm these days? - 09/13/06 11:09 PM

I sold a condo to a client that was in town a week ago which was not unusual. He didn't even seen this complex or the unit or express an interest in it until he got back to San Francisco. He called me and said I found one I wanted to buy. I said which one? He told me he had already talked to the listing agent and wanted to put in an offer. It was an owner agent so it made it easier to deal with. I have told the client how real estate works amny times! He has bought other things through me … (8 comments)

Rain fall in US cities, Is your City Active??? - 09/13/06 02:06 PM
National - Average Monthly Precipitation
Someone had posted earlier about how active rain is in their town. I wanted to see how a couple of towns compared. Seattle 37.19, Columbus,Ohio 36.63, Miami 55.91, New Orleans 61.88. How does your town compare? It rains a lot here but the drops are much bigger. It can rain a lot in an hour here. I remember one day we had 20 inches in 1995 in one day. I own a umbrella but rarely use it. They don't work well with hard rains. Is your community actively raining? Can you beat those numbers? What do you … (8 comments)

New Orleans Area, Blueberry Shopping near Tickfaw - 09/12/06 08:14 PM

New Orleans is much more than Bourbon Street and a lot of poor people. You can drive an hour away and pick blueberries in the rolling hills near Hammond. That means it is not all flat. I sold a clients home for his mother in Metairie and he invited me to his farm to pick about 7-8 years ago. It's you pickem and its like $5 per gallon. This year we picked 4 gallons and ate another while picking. They have set up picnic table with water buckets,bags, and shade to go with his 300 plus bushes that actually look like small … (2 comments)

Audubon French Quarter Luxury Condos, Pre-sales - 09/12/06 07:09 PM
 Audubon French Quarter Luxury Condos
No other condominium development offers greater proximity to these venues, these unique places which form such an integral part of the New Orleans experience. Situated on the corner of Canal and Burgundy, the Audubon French Quarter condos offer complete luxury living -- high ceilings, granite counters, tile baths,  exposed masonry walls, pool, courtyard, exercise facilities, security. Oversized windows will enhance the views from each condo. Carbone Properties developed this plan to appeal to a cross section of professionals. There will be 11 units on each floor with 8 two bedrooms and and 3 one bedroom units.available in the … (2 comments)

Multiple Websites, How do we manage? - 09/12/06 04:35 PM
Many of us have more than one website. I am sure many of us have just started one. I have two sites that I manage fairly well. Its getting harder and harder to keep them updated. Has anyone else noticed? Why did you get another site anyway? New Orleans Condos and New Orleans Real Estate  … (6 comments)

Warehouse District, walk to Spanish Plaza - 09/11/06 09:35 PM

Downtown living is a lifestyle that many are choosing. This is picture of the Spanish Plaza along the New Orleans Warehouse District  . If you dont want to spend you life in a car many have opted for downtown living. You can be close to many local attractions just by walking down the street. This is not new for New Orleans as most of the early settlers in the early 1700's lived near here. As factories and warehouse closed it left empty areas of town. This was skid row in the 1960-1980s time frame. 15-20 years ago this area turned around … (1 comments)

Views do matter in condos and homes - 09/11/06 06:22 PM

I sell a lot of condos and views are important. Can you set a value on the views? In some buildings you can but in most of the warehouse type conversions you get a variety of views. Got any ideas?
… (3 comments)

Pre-Starbucks, Cafe Du Monde New Orleans Coffee House - 09/10/06 11:31 PM

There were coffee shops before Star Bucks. Coffe Du Monde was opened in 1862 and has been a local favorite since then. Beignets and coffee in this open air market setting operates 7 days per week and 24 hours per day. I closes for Christmas and Hurricanes. You get 3 beignets with an order and are fryed pastry with fluffy dough covered with powdered sugar . We can call them French doughnuts. I don't drink coffee so your other choice of drink used to be water without ice and a carton of milk. Morning Call was a competitor when I was growing … (5 comments)

New Orleans Fast Foods, an early entry - 09/10/06 11:12 PM

Many of us eat fast food everyday in a hurried lifestyle we lead. This is one of the first fast foods I can remember growing up in New Orleans. It was before there the Golden Arches arrived in New Orleans. The prices have changed but little else has changed for the local Lucky Dog stand. My favorite hamburger place however was the Krystal because the burgers were 10 cents and you could sit down and eat in air conditioned comfort. You could ride the bus or streetcar around town for 10 cents one way anywhere you wanted to go. The guys that … (2 comments)

Real Estate Cameras, Get a good one!! - 09/09/06 09:29 PM
Getting a good camera is a must for the real estate agents in 2006. I am on my 4th Olympus camera. Its like a computer so when you stick with one brand you do not have to relearn the system again. I take a lot pictures and crop a lot so I got an 8 mega pixel with a wide angel lense which is good getiing rooms into the frame. I think it 35-105. the 35 is the wider angle that makes it good for real estate. Memory is really cheap so I can take over 250 8 mega-pizels before downloading. The camera works … (3 comments)

E-Mails that lift your spirits for New Olreans Real Estate - 09/09/06 09:01 PM
Dear Eric: My wife and I currently own a home in Peoria , il , for which the mortgage is paid. We have the tentative intention of moving to New Orleans and purchase a second residence depending upon whether or not I garner a Doctoral Internship in the city in order to complete the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I have been employed as a licensed clinical therapist for ten years and my wife as a licensed registered nurse with a speciality in Nephrology ( i.e. dialysis) for over a decade. My brother is relocating to the city as a purchasing director … (1 comments)

LSU 45 - Arizona 3, How sweet it is!!!! - 09/09/06 08:52 PM

Football is big in the state of Louisiana and LSU is our team. I know we have a lot of Arizona people on the board, Baton Rouge is a tough place to play for an offensive team that has few weapons. The game was for 5:30 and I got a property call in the first quarter, WOW! I talked to a guy in Ca. about a new condo project we have in the French Quarter. He really wanted one and may have a friend who wants one. www.auduboncondos.com , you never know who you know that may want one. Eric
… (4 comments)

Homegain, lead generators should disclose who pays them!! - 09/08/06 06:52 PM
Homegain has a lead generating website where they charge realtors for leads. I think they need to disclose who pays them. They are always changing their site to get a fresh look. I am sure they have called you to sell you an area or their many leads. Has anyone tried this? Are you happy? I think people hate to fill out the blanks and be contacted. How is the quality of leads?  … (2 comments)

New Orleans Historic Homes, Common Traits - 09/07/06 11:25 PM

When you look at the many older homes in the New Olreans Market you will see many common traits even though they are from different eras or types of homes. Columns, Iron fences, shutters, multipe fireplaces that are smaller then you think. High ceilings for the air flow. All are raised for air circulation. Large windows to let in light. Porches to watch the world go by. Al the extra touches with the woodwork. Balonies act much like porches but really add character. Hardwood floors. Staircases that are works of art. Gas lamps that flicker.   Most of the things I am writting … (2 comments)

New Orleans Schools, get a chance at last to educate the kids - 09/06/06 07:36 PM
"Right wing uses Katrina crisis to push privatizationThe plan to wreck New Orleans schools December 9, 2005 |  "A NIGHTMARE mix of right-wing politicians, corporate consultants and education fortune-seekers are out to take advantage of the crisis caused by Hurricane Katrina, and wipe out public schools in New Orleans.
Their weapon of choice: charter schools--the privatization scheme under which public schools receiving public funds are managed under different rules, often by private companies operating outside the authority of local school boards. JESSE SHARKEY, a Chicago teacher and member of AFT Local 1, reports on another atrocity in New Orleans."
People have different … (2 comments)

Prices to gut your flooded house are falling, market forces at work - 09/05/06 09:35 PM
The prices to gut your home has fallen by 50% in the past 8-10 months. The going rate was 1.50 per square foot but you can now get it done for .75 per sq. ft. You need to get this done for the sake of your neighbors who are trying to rebuild. FEMA will pick up the insides for free unitl the end of the year. So lets get it done before you are fined and then cry that you didnt know. If you are elderly or infirmed you can get a non-profit to help you. Unsitely weeds, debris, rats ect. … (3 comments)

Website, great place to feature your listings - 09/05/06 08:39 PM
Your website is a great place to feature you properties. You can put whatever you want on the page. You can have any number of photos and make them any size you want. You can design a format that works for you. You can direct clients to your site with adverrtising from flyers and print ads. I only use Homes and Land now because its a quality issue here. The sellers like it as it shows off their property and you can put some personality behind it. Few agents use this feature or fewer design their own pages. Visitors to the … (3 comments)

Old Jefferson, One of the First Modern New Orleans Suburbs - 09/05/06 06:33 PM

People were thinking about moving out of town in the late 1930s and 1940s when Old Jefferson provided that modern home of the time. The two bedrooms and one bath were the norm. It was a simple floorplan, one room in each corner with an eat in kitchen. Most had porches and a small garage which you had to share with an outside laundry room. There were no dryers so you had to have that clothes line. Lamps would light the rooms and there were few ceiling lights, and ceiling fans, no a/c and a large attic fan tyaht would pull the air through … (1 comments)

New Orleans Northshore, Expanding your sales range? - 09/04/06 06:21 PM

Expanding your geographical real estate area is a learning experience has been a lot of fun. One of the reasons I wanted to do more area is a change in scenery. Most of the work is with buyers because I dont think it works with listings as well. I have a partner and we decided to take the challenge. We work in the most knowledge needed area. I was in the supermarket business before this and all these areas were in my territory. We do our research and will end up knowing as much or more than the very local agents. … (0 comments)

New Orleans Porches, Its part of the home and a good one. - 09/03/06 09:15 PM

We love our porches in the South. So much work went into the proches with their columns and rails. People much have hours ands putting the happy face of a home which I will call the porch. It rains here a lot so it can keep the rain off. The sun is hot and keeps the direct sun off the windows. Its a great place to hang firms and show off your green thumb. Most of these old houses were built before a/c so it became a great place to sit and visit with your neighbors. You could watch your neighborhood … (10 comments)

Big LSU fan? Famous people who you may have sold a home to. - 09/02/06 11:16 PM
 This guy is a huge LSU fan? Can you name him? I was wondering if he had to buy an extra large home in Miami. This leads to a question if you have ever sold a home to a famous person. An agent in my office sold Mike Dika a home several years ago. He fell down the stairs his first nite there. His career as coach also went downhill from there.  … (14 comments)

New Orleans, One of the dumbest Cities - 09/02/06 07:39 PM
Reading another blog about how smart people are Seattle and Austin, I realised how dumb we are. The truth is in the poor education system that we have allowed to exist. I am at a loss of how to help people that have no desire for an education. Its not for lack of money. The school board is more interested in contracts and jobs. The system got litterly washed out by Katrina. So we get to start over! We will see what happens? There are still some smart people here but we get out voted on most issues. How do we become smarter? … (5 comments)

New Orleans Downtown Living, A trend to Continue? - 09/01/06 10:58 PM
I do a lot of business in the downtown area of New Orleans. The trend to move downtown has become very trendy among young professions, second home buyers and empty nesters. They like being within walking distance of the downtown attractions. They like being near work. They like the idea of closing the door and leaving if they are doing a lot of traveling. I think the downtown area will double in population in the next 2-3 years. Many new projects are coming on line and prices are holding steady. Your space is going to be small in comparison with other areas and the prices … (2 comments)

 
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Eric Bouler

New Orleans, LA

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Gardner Realtors, Licensed in La.

Address: Metairie, La, USA

Office Phone: (504) 212-0072

Cell Phone: (504) 212-0072

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New Orleans Real Estate, Learn the neighborhoods in the New Orleans Metro market.

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