More People Are Searching For Shreveport Homes For Sale Online - 01/31/09 08:45 PM
Realtor.com released some interesting statistics for December 2008.  The data show the most-searched real estate markets in the United States ranked in order of popularity, year-over-year and month-over-month percentage increases.
I want to give a heads up to all homeowners in Shreveport and Bossier City who are thinking of selling their home.  The month-over-month increase in online searches for this area was 22.6%.  This means that close to 25% more people searched online for homes for sale in Shreveport this December compared to last December.
According to the National Association of Realtors®, 80% of home searches nationwide begin on the internet.  This is … (5 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - JOY! - 01/28/09 06:03 PM

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You're at Home with HeatherShreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana Real Estate
Shreveport Home ConnectionColdwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Assoc. LLC
Serving your real estate needs in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Stonewall, Blanchard, and Barksdale
Highlighting the southeast Shreveport neigborhoods of Twelve Oaks, Acadiana Place, Norris Ferry Landing, Hidden Oaks, the Leonard Road Area, Norris Ferry Crossing, St. Charles Place, and Ellerbe Road Estates
Licensed Realtor® in Louisiana.  Contact me at 318-465-6746 to list or buy a home.
… (7 comments)

Ten Things to Do and See in Shreveport, LA - 01/28/09 08:15 AM
Here is a list of ten cool places to go when you're visiting Shreveport or if you live here and are looking for something to do.  I've put them in no particular order.
1. Sci-Port Discovery Science Center and IMax Theater The kids love this one, but it has something for everyone.
2. Yogie and Friends Wild Cat Sanctuary Get up close and personal with lions and tigers and panthers - no bears!
3. Chimp Haven A family of chimps retired from the scientific research sector.
4. Water Town Shreveport's own water park.
5. R.W. Norton Art Gallery A unique art museum with … (2 comments)

My Top Ten Favorite Restaurants in Shreveport, LA - 01/23/09 11:02 PM
Louisiana is known for its food - cajun, seafood, barbeque. You name it, we've got it. And it's delicious. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite local restaurants in Shreveport.  See if you agree with me.
Strawn's Eat Shop - An All-American Diner
Dahn's Garden - Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese food
Yeero! Yeero! - A great little Greek restaurant
Pie Works - Pizza like you wouldn't believe
Cush's Grocery and Market - Great sandwiches, pasta, and Angus beef
Albasha - Lebanese food
Johnny's Pizza House - Home of the Kajun Sweep the Swamp Pizza
Counter Culture - Frozen yogurt … (7 comments)

Please Don't Hate Me Because I Removed You From My Friends List! - 01/23/09 11:47 AM
Okay, I admit it. I may be too old to learn new tricks like Facebook and Twitter. Somehow I just don't get it. I have an account for both of these social networks, but Twitter I have all but abandoned, and Facebook may soon follow.
Perhaps I should get my teenage son to give me a lesson on how to use Facebook, because there's something I'm not getting. Is it me, or am I just using it wrong? My main problem seems to be the inability to follow one side of a conversation, or to find the entire conversation. So, I … (35 comments)

Wordless Wednesday - Orange Blossom Special - 01/21/09 06:36 PM

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You're at Home with HeatherShreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana Real Estate
Shreveport Home ConnectionColdwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Assoc. LLC
Serving your real estate needs in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Stonewall, Blanchard, and Barksdale
Highlighting the southeast Shreveport neigborhoods of Twelve Oaks, Acadiana Place, Norris Ferry Landing, Hidden Oaks, the Leonard Road Area, Norris Ferry Crossing, St. Charles Place, and Ellerbe Road Estates
Licensed Realtor® in Louisiana.  Contact me at 318-465-6746 to list or buy a home.
… (8 comments)

Tax Credit Changes Could Unleash Home Sales - 01/19/09 09:20 PM
As reported in the January 19, 2009, issue of Louisiana Realtors® publication, eNews Digest, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) is advocating an expansion of the first-time home buyer tax credit.
NAR's chief economist, Lawrence Yun, said, "A home buyer incentive is critical to help reduce housing inventory and stabilize home prices.  The bigger the incentive, the faster housing can help pull the economy out of recession. The cost to the Treasury would be far less than the additional costs of a prolonged recession with insufficient housing stimulus." 
The expansion they would like to see would include all home buyers in the … (6 comments)

Help! Should I Refinance?! - 01/19/09 08:20 PM
Thanks to my associate, Marshall Graham, a lender with Aulds, Horne, and White for the following information to help you decide whether refinancing is right for you in your situation.
The question whether to refinance or not can seem overwhelming to most. After all, we're speaking of your number one asset! How does one know when the right time to refinance is? The mortgage industry is notoriously popular for statements such as, "My cousin Vinny said that you shouldn't refinance until a 2% reduction in rate". My intention is to shed some light into the mystery question, "When Should I Refinance?!"
… (4 comments)

New Must-Have Labor Saving Device! - 01/18/09 03:20 PM

 
Everyone wants one!  If you don't have one - borrow one!
Highly effective for keeping your hardwood floors gleaming.  Even works on tile and concrete.
Use more than one for even faster results.  Have coffee with your friends as the little dusting dynamos do their job!
Get one today!  You'll be the envy of the neighborhood and the office!
… (21 comments)

In The Tradition Of Alan... - 01/18/09 02:18 PM
In the tradition of Alan May, who so generously and selflessly supplies us with a plethora of jokes with which to entertain clients, family, and friends, I offer you this one sure to make you laugh - or at least groan - outloud (courtesy of my teenage son, Fiddler):  
Who invented the round table?
 
 
 
Sir Cumference  
Thanks for brightening our days, Alan.

… (9 comments)

Asking The Right Questions Can Save You Money On Homeowner's Insurance - 01/18/09 07:56 AM
Heads up if you're financing your new home. One of the things the mortgage company will require is homeowner's insurance. Do you know how to get the best rate possible with the proper coverage? By asking the right questions and paying close attention to the details, you can be sure that you're getting all the discounts you qualify for. Below are some of the discounts insurance companies might give to policy holders.
Do you have a current renter's or homeowner's policy with any company? Having a current policy will lower the rate by up to 10%. What is the age of … (2 comments)

What's So Important About The Listing Agreement? - 01/17/09 09:39 AM
When you sit down with a real estate agent who wants you to sign a listing agreement with them so they can sell your home, be very careful.  As I mentioned in my post, What's Your Listing Agent Really Doing For You?, there are three important blanks on that document that you should be aware of.
First, let’s talk about the length of the Listing Agreement.  Most agents will want a six-month listing contract.  Ask yourself if you are willing to work with that particular agent for six months while he/she tries to get your home sold.  Do you need to … (3 comments)

What Is Your Listing Agent Really Doing For You? - 01/16/09 09:05 PM
The original title of this post was, What Is Your Real Estate Agent Really Doing For You?  The topic was too broad, however, because an agent can work with a client in one of two ways.
As a listing agent when you want to sell your home As a buyers agent when you want to buy a home. I guess if you want to get technical, there's a third way. If you're selling one home to buy another, and you use the same agent for both transactions - lucky agent. He or she is working for you in both these capacities.  … (6 comments)

What Are YOU Doing on the First Page of Google? - 01/14/09 10:24 PM

Alan May wrote a post that reminded me of something cool that happened a couple of weeks ago.  At our office we have what we call the Workroom.  It contains the copier, fax machine, file cabinets full of forms, and eight or nine computers.  This is where agents get online to do business (and visit).
So, one day I'm sitting there using a computer and chatting with the agent next to me.  She's working on a new listing in a particular neighborhood.  All of a sudden she gasps out, "This is YOU!!"
Of course, I glance over to see what she's … (9 comments)

Active Rain taking hold - 01/14/09 09:59 PM
Alan May posted some interesting statistics about the number of real estate agents and brokers participating in online social networks.
I don't know about other places, but I'm one of only two agents in Shreveport here on Active Rain.  I know of none others that blog anywhere.  At least they don't come up on the Google searches like I do. ;-)
Via Alan May Coldwell Banker, Evanston, Realtor® (Evanston, IL):
According to my latest "residential specialist" magazine, Online Social networks and blogs are taking hold.  They report that as per NAR's 2008 Realtor Technology Survey, 33% of agents and brokers say that they participate … (4 comments)

Shreveport Home Market Stats - December 2008 - 01/14/09 08:15 PM
Well, 2008 has come and gone with incredible changes in the housing market and overall economy.  Although the Shreveport market has fared better than most of the nation, we haven't been totally immune as the table below shows.  While homes sales were down 123 and average home values were down 4%, it took just an average of 73 days to sell those homes.
 

All in all, Shreveport's housing market is doing well, but at a little slower pace.  As I've written before, putting your house on the market involves more than hammering a For Sale sign in the front … (0 comments)

Are you aware of Credit Scoring changes coming soon? - 01/10/09 10:30 PM
Loren Johnson of Mortgages Unlimited in Minnesota provides a peek at the changes coming to your nearest credit score.  Something to ask your lender about if you're planning to buy a home this year.

Via Loren Johnson, CMPS (Mortgages Unlimited):
Changes are finally coming to the "art" of credit scoring, the mathematical modeling of assigning a number score to how a Consumer uses credit. Soon, two of the three credit reporting bureaus will use a new model. Fair Isaac, the developer of FICO scores, has made the biggest change to its mathematical credit score model since it was introduced in 1989. … (2 comments)

 
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Heather Goodwin

GoodWin Team Realty

Shreveport, LA

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Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission

Address: Shreveport, LA, 71106

Office Phone: (318) 918-8248

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