Pat Travasos's Blog

WHY DO YOU LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:29:36 -0700

Thirty-five years ago, I needed a place to park my mobile home. Someone at work told my about Brusly, La. The directions to Brusly were to cross new bridge, head towards Plaquemine, La., take a right at the light and go all the way down to the oak tree. There was the trailer park.

Guess what! I haven't left that sleepy little town. That was 1974 and now in 2008, it is not a sleepy town any longer. It has really grown but the people have stayed the same.

If you talk to people and ask where you live and I tell them Brusly, they ask front or back Brusly. Back Brusly is across the tracks and home to a 400 year old oak tree. I would like to know how may directions have been given using this oak tree as a directional piece. What would the tales be if this old oak with its wavering limbs could talk.

Brusly has a country town feel to it but close enough to Baton Rouge for the city life. It is located ten minutes from downtown Baton Rouge and 15 minutes to LSU. You can even sit in your back yard and see the fireworks on the fourth of July or just view the Mississippi River Bridge at night with its beautiful lights. Sometimes, if the wind is blowing the right way, you can hear the horns of the river boats on the Mississippi.

The people of Brusly are kind, caring and come together for a cause. If someone is in need, a group will head up a fund raiser, or if you are ill, they will bring you soup. Can you thinl of a better place to live?

Brusly is like "CHEERS". Everyone knows your name!

RIVER MILL RESERVE TOWNHOMES--OPEN HOUSE--WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Fri, 16 May 2008 07:03:21 -0700

Brusly's newest developement will host its first open house on Sunday May 18th from 2PM to 4PM. River Mill Reserve Townhomes are located off La. Hwy 1 and west St Francis St.

Thirteen of the fifty-five units are at the completion state. This will be a private, gated community with serene green spaces. Each unit has cedar gates for additional privacy. River Mill's exterior has brick and Hardy Plank with a 40-year warranty, and copper awnings. Special financing available.

1year membership to Spectrum Fitness which is located walking distance from the townhomes. Alexander Base Ball Park and Brusly Elementary are also walking or bike riding distance.

For more information, please contact Pat Travasos, REALTOR, 225-235-0428 for a private showing. www.forsaleby patt.com

YOUR LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT

www.rivermillreserve.com

BUYER PROCESS TO PURCHASE A HOME

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:57:14 -0700

BUYING YOUR HOME IS A LARGE INVESTMENT.It should be an enjoyable experience.. A couple should sit down do a wish list of all their wants and needs. Plan for the future. You don't want to buy the first house you see and a few months later, regret sets in.

RESEARCH YOUR LENDERS. There are some you can call and get pre -qualified in five minutes. This will give you a starting point to how much you can really afford. Maybe you would prefer to be pre-approved.

What is the difference?

Pre-qualified with a loan officer, will inform you of what price you can afford based on the down payment, your debts and the amount of mortgage company will approve.

Pre-approved is only a determination of your probable credit. If you are pre-approved, your credit, employment and funds have been approved by the lender.

YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT.

It is best to sit down face to face with your real estate agent and discuss your needs, style of home and everything you want on you wish list. Real estate agents have access to Multiple Listing Services which covers all properties listed for sale by areas. Together, you can select the homes you would like to see, set appointments and preview homes via computer. A real agent can guide you thru this process.

MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING ON EACH PROPERTY.

LOCATION

PRICE

PHOTOGRAPH

UTILITIES

AMMENTIES

ANNUAL PROPERTY TAXES

LISTING COMPANY

MOST IMPORTANT HAVE FUN, RELAX AND ENJOY THE PROCESS

BATON ROUGE CORVETTE CLUB CRUISING TO ST. JUDE

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Mon, 12 May 2008 07:25:45 -0700

Fourteen cars from the Baton Rouge Corvette Club will be crusing to Memphis, to deliver a check in the amount of $25,000.00 to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. The Plaquemine Main Street Program and the Baton Rouge Rouge Corvette Club raised this money at their 10TH Annual Labor of Love Car Show on April 5th, which was held at the Plaquemine Bayou Waterfront Park.

Participants received a plaque with a picture of their car .These plaques were beautifully by Addis Athletics in Addis, La. Sponsor trophies and in memory trophies were given away to participants. Bridgetone Firestone was one the many corporate sponsors had a simulator on the site. Everyone enjoyed the BBQ chicken dinners, fast food, 50/50 and the auction.

The date for next years show is April 25th.2009 Contact Jeff or Pat Travasos for more details @ jtravasos@cox.net

OPEN HOUSE PELICAN POINT GONZALES, LOUISIANA

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:59:20 -0700

PELICAN POINT, GONZALES, LOUISIANA

SUNDAY MAY 18, 2008

2:00pm TO 4:00pm

40019 Gadwell CT

PELICAN POINT , A lovely four bedroom home with three baths. It has a large screened in porch in the rear of the home. Corner Lot. Must see!!!! Contact Pat Travasos 225-235-0428 or visit my website www.forsalebypatt.com

The Benefits of Buying A Home In West Baton Rouge

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:53:54 -0700

Are you looking for a Baton Rouge Real Estate Agent and thinking of buying a home in West Baton Rouge, Louisiana? As a resident of Baton Rouge, I must say that West Baton Rouge is a great place to live. These days the question on many minds is "Why should I buy when I can rent?". Of course, there are several reasons that could keep a person from buying but there are also several benefits that come with owning your own home in West Baton Rouge.
Take a look at some benefits you can gain by being a West Baton Rouge homebuyer:

Pride
Property Tax Deductions
Captial Gain
Appreciation
Stability
Laying Down Your Roots

Pride- There's nothing like having a big dose of pride to go with your new home. Pride of home ownership is probably the number one reason that people want to buy. Wouldn't it feel great to have something that was totally yours? Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to ask a land lord permission to change the enviroment in your home? Having home ownership allows you to paint the walls just as you like, do the flower bed as you wish, and allows you to have as many pets as you want. There's no more asking when you own your own home, well except for maybe your wife or husband.

Property Tax Deductions- Eeeck, not taxes. Don't worry. Did you know that the IRS Publication 530 offers information on taxes for first-time homebuyers? The good news is that Real Estate property taxes for the first-time homebuyer are totally deductible.

Capital Gain- According to homebuying.com, as long as you have lived in your home for two of the past five years,you can exclude up to $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a married couple of profit from capital gains. So, you can basically exclude the above thresholds from taxes every 24 months. Wow! You can basically sell every two years and pocket your profit! Read to buy a home yet?

Appreciation- We all know that Real Estate goes in cycles. Sometimes it might be up and other times it might be down. In the long run, we all know that Real Estate is much more likely to appreciate than not. This makes buying a West Baton Rouge home an investment for you. No more paying someone else your money. You can finally put that money into an investment of your own.

Stability- Owning your own West Baton Rouge home allows you to have some sort of stability and emotional security. After buying your home, there's not more worrying about paying your land lord, the rent going up or the possibility of your home being sold. You will be the judge of how long you live in your home. You will have the power to do as you please. You will have stability and that emotional security that comes with buying your own West Baton Rouge home.

Laying Down Your Roots- If you have been a renter up until now, you probably have a feeling of disconnect from the community you live in. It's easy to assume that since you are renting you probably think you will not be there for the long run with somewhat puts you out of the loop in your neighborhood. Owning your own Baton Rouge home allows you to lay down your roots and finally have a place to call home. You'll finally feel the freedom to get involved in your community because it is just that, your community!

DO YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL?

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:58:49 -0700

The most important word on your property tax bill is "millages" . A mill is one-tenth of one percent and is the means in which property taxes are generated for services provided by government agencies. West Baton Rouge Parish has 95.69 mills of property taxes. To figure out your bill, for example: If your house is valued at $10,000 then your tax bill would be $95.69. Another example is:

If your house is valued at $85,000, then it has an assessed value of $8,500 (which is 10% of value) less $7500 for homestead exemption. You would do the math ($8500 - $7500= $1000 x 95.69 would equal $95.69.

State law requires that the office reassess properties every four years to adjust the value of the market. 2008 is the year of reassessment. When you receive your tax bill at the end of the year, those values will be higher, which means your tax bill will also be higher.

Brusly, Addis and Port Allen FREE Sports Summer Camps

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:18:07 -0700

This is a great way to get the kids off the couch and have fun. Once again, the WBR Parks and Recreation is offering FREE SPORTS CAMP for Baseball, Basketball and Football. All of the camps will be from 8:30am until noon. It will be open for youths age 4 to 14. High school coaches and players will be the instructors. The camps is a great opportunity for the youth to learn new techniques and to gain skills.

Advance registration is requested by going to the Parks and Recreation office in the Port Allen Community Center at 749 N. Jefferson St., in Port Allen, La or they can register when they arrive at the camp.

Dates of camps as follows for Alexander Ball Park

July 1 baseball camp

July 2 basketball camp

July 3 football camp

Dates of camps as follows for William & Lee Park

July 8 baseball camp

July 9 basketball camp

July 10 football camp

Dates of camps as follows for Erwinville Ball Park

July 15 baseball camp

July 16 basketball camp

July 17 football camp

SUMMER FUN AND IT'S AFFORDABLE

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:08:23 -0700

Summer day camps will be held throughout the parish for children ages 5 to 12 years by the West Baton Rouge Parks and Recreation District. The time of the camps are from 8:30am until 3:30pm and the cost is $5 per week.

June 10-12 Addis Community Center

June 17-19 Port Allen Community Center

June 24-26 Erwinville Community Center

Activities include games, outdoor activities, space walks, shows at the WBR Library. Lunch is also included.

Kids can attend all three camps. For more info, call 336-2423. Advance registration is requested by going to the Parks office at the Port Allen C ommunity Center located at 749 N Jefferson St in Port Allen, La.

Buyers Class 101

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:29:18 -0700

All buyers should be required to attend at least eight hours of classes on How to Buy Your House and also How to Treat Your Real Estate Agent! What has happened to manners in this society? I am blowing off steam after my day yesterday. I had a duty call last week. The buyer wanted to buy a house for this particular price and particular area. No problem. I found the houses and emailed the listings. She would never call back. After a week, she finally called and said she didn't like the location. I started again on the MLS and found exactly what she wanted. Not good enough!. I asked to meet me and we would ride around and she was excited. Set up an appointment, meeting place and what type of cars we would be driving. Guess what! NO SHOW!!!!!!! That afternoon,

I had an email at work inquiring about Crystal Lake Development. This couple was relocating from California and need information about the area and the development. The nice person that I am, put together a package about the area, even went to Chamber of Commerce and gathered information about schools, shopping centers etc. I had contact with the wife and she said they were coming down end of May. Great! Guess what! I got a call from the husband at 3PM telling me he was in town and wanted to look for houses. I told him 9AM would be great and I could spend the whole day showing him houses and the area. He told me he had an appointment with another real estate agent to look at houses. STOP THE TRAIN! Apparently, there was no communication between husband and wife about me. His real estate agent was reccommended to him .

I was totally blown out the water yesterday. That is why buyers should be educated on our rules also. Needless to say, yesterday was my day from H__L.

I going to work this AM to do duty call. Let's see what else this day will bring.

P.S. Thanks for letting me vent.

Parade of Homes

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:58:17 -0700

The Baton Rouge is having their annual Parade of Homes April 19-20 and April 26-27 2008 .

Saturday 11AM - 5PM

Sunday 1PM - 5PM

West Baton Rouge Parish The Oaks at Main Street, Brusly, La. Hwy 1

River Landins, Addis, La. Hwy 1

West Palm Estates, Port Allen Court Street

Livingston Parish Juban Parc, Greystone Golf Community, Canyon Road

If you have any questions, call Pat Travasos, Prime Locations Realty

225-235-0428

OPEN HOUSE AT CRYSTAL LAKES

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:27:04 -0700

Join us Saturday, April 19th at 30255 Burgess Road, Denham Springs La, for an OPEN HOUSE at CRYSTAL LAKES.

Meet our twelve preferred builders, tour our model homes and check out the ammenties that Crystal Lake has to offer. Lendors, appraisers and our own Prime Locations Real Estate Agents will be here to answer any of your real estate questions.

Bring the family. We have FREE hotdogs and cokes. Kids can play in the Space Walk and Ball Arena.

Free door prizes.

Directions: From Baton Rouge , exit Denham Springs and go north. First light take a right up to Pete's Hwy. Take a left and continue to Florida Blvd. Take a right on Florida to Eden Church Road and take a left and continue down to Lockhart. You will see Northpark Recreation Center on the right. Take a right on Lockhart on continue down. You will see Eastside Elementary School and the newest day care center on the left. The next street is Burgess Road where you will see our new homes.

Advertising Dollars

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 17:31:43 -0700

Last October 07, I started the real estate business after thirty-five years in the private sector. I enjoy meeting new people, networking, making new friends and finding old one.

My question as a newbie: How much do you allow for your advertising budget? What is the most effective way to get leads? I have had one listing and sold it. and sold a property. That was by word of mouth. My broker told me I was doing great. Most real estate agents only sell three properties the first year. I expected a lot more. Tell me please to what I should expect.

Confused.

CRYSTAL LAKES SUBDIVISION, DENHAM SPRINGS, LA

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:03:28 -0700

Newest subdivision in Denham Springs, La. Choose from 271 lots backed up to the lakes. Going on sale March28th. 2008. Choose from our six preferred builders. One of a kind subdivision. Call today for information.

Pat Travasos

Prime Locations Realty

225-235-0428

www.forsalebypatt.com

SPRING HAS SPRUNG 10th Annual St. Jude Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:57:53 -0700

Hey everyone! Spring has finally come and it is time to get out in the fresh air and sunshine. Your perfect opportunity is at the Baton Rouge Corvette Club and the Plaquemine Main Street Program 10th Annual St.Jude Car, Truck and Motorcyle Show to be held on April 5th from 8am to 4pm and the Bayou Plaquemine Water Front Park.

The best of the best in Corvettes, street rods, trucks and motorcycles will be on display for the public to see. Come early and register for the POKER WALK. If you are hungry, that's ok. We will have BBQ chicken dinners cooked by Danny's Catering from White Castle, La. We will also have Nachoes, Chili, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Boudain Balls.

We are also raffling a 42" HD flat screen tv, purple and gold burner and $100 cash.

At 1PM, we will have our auction. Don't forget all proceeds, 100% goes to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee.

If you need more information, call me at 225-235-0428. If you like to make a contribution, which is tax deductible please email me at ptravasos@cox.net and I will send you information where to send the donation.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN

Dreams Do Come True

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:46:36 -0700

The newest development in Livingston Parish. It is unlike any subdivision developed in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Can you imagine having a day care center in your subdivision? How about your children being able to walk to school or you can drop them off in five minutes from your home? Can you imagine being able to come home, pickup the tackle box and going fishing with your son?

Imagine a Sunday afternoon, friends gather for a BBQ and a great game of Beach Volley Ball. If that is not what you want, how about the running track, to keep in shape. There is also walking paths, picnic areas all in a safe and secure environment. Do you like baseball? Right across the street is North Park Recreation Center. It is the largest recreational park in the area.

What more can a family want? It is also close to I-12. That would make Mom and Dad real happy!

You can have all this and more. Make your dreams come true today.

Mark your calendars. March 28, 2008 Lots will go on sale. Prices range from $32,000 to $60,000
Contact Pat Travasos 225-235-0428 www.forsalebypatt.com

West Baton Rouge Parish is on the map! Part 2

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:01:10 -0800

From the skyscrapers of downtown Baton Rouge, you can look out on a clear day and see the mighty Mississippi River Bridge with traffic flowing East and West. At dusk, the beautiful sunset colors of gold and orange and blue can be seen from very far away. Across the Mississippi river, lights are visable one by one with night time approaching. Don't you wonder what is on the other side.

Well, wonder no more. The town of Port Allen is finally awake from its hibernation. Port Allen is located in the tiny but growing parish of West Baton Rouge. This parish is best known for agriculture and petrochemical plants. The developers had a vision for this parish . Subdivisions started growing by leeps and bounds. New businesses and retail establishments are being built along Hwy 1 and Hwy 415.

People are finding out about the quality of schools, low crime rate, low land cost. They are also finding out about the easy commute to Baton Rouge. No wonder, we are on the map.

Surprise of all, we are becoming home to the Louisiana's largest film studio on the riverfront north of Port Allen. Can you imagine shopping and running into your favorite movie star, in disguise of course.

More of the movie studio and other developments on the next blog of West Baton Rouge Parish is on the map!

Baton Rouge Loop Update

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:13:52 -0800

Thursday, February 28 from 5 to 7 pm, there will be another public hearing for the proposed routes for the Loop project. It will be held at the Port Allen Community Center. Come out and voice your opinion.

Oaks at Main Street, Brusly, La

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:03:53 -0800

There are a lot of people who don't know where Brusly is located. Most people think we are really far from Baton Rouge.This is a myth. Brusly, La is just five minutes from downtown Baton Rouge. This town has a small town feel but close enough to Baton Rouge. This amazing town has new construction everywhere you look.

On West Main Street of Brusly, is a 4BR/2BA home being constructed right now. It will be on the Parade of Homes at the end of April. This amazing home has a living room with a built -in entertainment center made to accommodate a wide screen TV. The open kitchen has an island, dining area and keeping room complete with fireplace. At the rear of the house is the master suite, and a luxurious master bath with his and her closets.

This house is one of a kind. So many another ammenties, too numerous to list. Call if you would like to schedule a private tour.

Pat Travasos, Realtor

Prime Locations Realty

225-235-0428

www.forsalebypatt.com

One of the Newest Subdivisions, Pecan Ridge, Addis, La. (West Baton Rouge Parish

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:28:23 -0800

Addis, Louisiana is growing by leaps and bounds. The newest subdivision being developed is Pecan Ridge. It consist of 62 lots, prices range from $37.000 to 42,000. The lot sizes are ranging from 88 to 90 feet wide and 198 to 200 deep.

The YMCA is located down the street. It is the first YMCA IN West Baton Rouge Parish. Addis, La. is located south of the Intercoastal Bridge heading on LA 1. It is a great location because it is 10 minutes from downtown Baton Rouge.

It is located just north of all the plants located on the Mississippi River. Wouldn't is be great to drive ten minutes instead of battling the traffic crossing the Mississippi River every afternoon.

Contact me at 225-235-0428 for more information or email me at ptravasos@cox.net.

www.forsalebypatt.com

St. Jude Open Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:54:22 -0800

Baton Rouge Corvette Club and the Plaquemine Main Street Program will host its 10th annual show Saturday April 5th from 8am to 3pm in Plaquemine at the Plaquemine Waterfront Park. Registration is $30. 100% of proceeds goes to St. Jude Childrens Hospital in Memphis, Tn. We will have BBQ dinners Auction at 1PM. Trophies will be given out at 3PM. If you are a car lover, this is the place to be.

West Baton Rouge is on the map!

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:30:50 -0800

I have been living in West Baton Rouge Parish for almost 35 years. Everyday coming home from work, I would think one of these days, this parish will explode. In 2007, it finally started to erupt. Crossing the intercoastal bridge, we have our WalMart on LA 1. New businesses are popping up everywhere. Subdivisions galore. What will be next?

Find out in the next edition of "West Baton Rouge is on the Map"

St Jude Open Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:21:41 -0800

Saturday, April 5th, Baton Rouge Corvette Club and Plaquemine MainStreet Program will host its 10th Annual St.Jude Open Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show at the Bayou Plaquemine Waterfront Park from 8am to 3pm.

BBQ Chicken Dinners, Hamburgers, Hot Dogs , Cokes and our Sweet Shop will be available. We will have our annual auction at 1PM. 50/50 tickets will be sold. Come out and see all the classic cars, trucks. For more info, call 225-235-

Kite Fest Louisiane, West Baton Rouge, Port Allen, La

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:18:16 -0800

2008 Kite Fest will be held Friday, April 4th and Saturday April 5th at the West Baton Rouge Soccer Complex on Hwy 415 @ Rosedale Rd in Port Allen. "FREE TO THE PUBLIC"

ACTIVITIES ON FRIDAY

Children's Educational Day, Kite making workshop.

ACTIVITIES ON SATURDAY

Kite flying for fun, Kite flying competition , Show Kite demonstrations, Louisiana food booths, Extreme Inflatables

Come out and enjoy a good time!!!!!!!!!

UP UP AND AWAY IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

Pat Travasos (Donnie Jarreau Companies) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:28:52 -0800

West Baton Rouge Museum will sponsor its annual kite workshop on March 29 at 2 pm. Mr. Marshall Harris will take the persona of Ben Franklin to present a talk and followed by participants making kites. For more information, call 336-2422 ext 14 for details.