Whew.........that was close!

In Folsom Louisiana-St Tammany Parish my family & neighbors made it through another one.  I'm sorry it was worse for folks further west, but I'm glad my home is still here for me and my family.  We made the decision to stay based on the forecasts but prepared just in case..family from Kenner and Metairie came to stay with us, we pulled out the generator and filled gas cans, bought extra drinks and food to snack on, picked up lawn furniture and made calls to clients with listings to please pick up yard signs and flyer boxes so that they didn't become flying projectiles.  Most of my friends and clients south of I-12 decided to leave, the ones north of I-12 stayed home.  I'm glad everyone stayed safe. 

We didn't have too much damage-lost one oak tree, some fences down because of weak or dead trees still standing from Katrina blew over, animals freaked out a little.  The Bogue Falaya River is rising now, we rode out to Million Dollar road and the river looked to be about 2-3 feet below the level of the bridge (it's usually about 15-20 feet below the bridge. 

I'm making calls to friends and clients today to make sure they are ok, and to try and help with their questions about the area-if power is on and so forth.  The roads are mostly clear. 

This was nothing compared to Katrina.  We stayed for that storm too and was out of power for 32 days.  We just recently finished repairing damage from that storm this year. 

Hurricanes really try my nerves, I'm hoping the remaining season is a quiet one, and this doesn't hurt our economy any further.

 If found, please return to....

Timing is everything!

I have printable lists of properties for sale in

Mandeville, LA $140-200,000

Madisonville, LA $145-200,000

Folsom, LA $150-$285,000 on Acreage!

Covington, LA $140-$285,000 on Acreage!

Lots in Abita Springs, LA from $9000....

Email or call me and I will get it out to you!

If you are looking for a home on acreage in Folsom, LA please have a look at these two properties.

One is a 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home on 5.74 acres with a 30'x30' insulated metal storage building on a slab, stall and corral for horses on beautiful grounds with stocked pond. For more details and pictures visit:

http://www.obeo.com/Public/Viewer/Default.aspx?ID=446052

The other is a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 2 story victorian home on 6.375 fenced acres featuring a 2 car detached garage with an additional carport, workshop, office, and kennel/dog run.  This home is very energy efficient, has beautiful patios with fish pond and mature landscaping in place.  You can view this home at:

http://www.tinabaril.com/OurFeaturedHomes  130 Deerfield Rd, Folsom

Both of these properties would be great for horses, or lots of space to call your own!

For more details contact:

Tina Baril

985-249-8081

Prudential Gardner, Mandeville LA

email: tina@tinabaril.com

office: 985-626-8589

Don't Make the Mistake of Overpricing Your Home 

Pricing matters. When you decide to sell your home, one of the most important decisions you'll make is your initial listing price. Of course, you want to get as much for your home as buyers may be willing to pay. However, when determining the price, don't make the mistake of overpricing.  It's an understandable mistake, but one that could prove costly if it slows down the sale and/or makes other homes look like a good value by comparison.

One trap many sellers fall into when deciding a price is basing it on emotion. After all, your home has been special to you and your family. You've perhaps made changes and improvements over the years. But you need to ask yourself: how important are those changes to a potential buyer? How up-to-date are the improvements? It is easy to think your home is worth more than your neighbor's or more than the current market may support. But, if you overprice your home, you may attract the wrong buyers-buyers who will compare your home to other homes within the same price range and walk away disappointed. Some of those other homes may have more amenities or be in better condition. At the same time, you may eliminate a pool of potential buyers who are shopping for homes priced in the range of your home's true market value.

Another challenge you face with overpricing is less initial traffic and diminished interest. Generally, a home receives the most activity during the first weeks its on the market. If your home is priced more than similar homes in your market, it may discourage potential buyers who believe they can get a better value somewhere else. In addition, real estate professionals tend to not guide qualified buyers to overpriced properties. And, the longer your home stays on the market, the more buyers may begin to reason that there is something wrong with the property.

If you overprice your home with a thought of using a "price high then drop" strategy, you run into the same risk of buyers believing that something is wrong with the property--or that you are desperate to sell. Eventually the property may sell, but at how much of a loss--especially if you have purchased another residence and now have to cover two mortgages and pay ongoing expenses?

Overpricing can also result in fewer offers. For various reasons, buyers may feel uncomfortable submitting a low bid when there's a considerable difference between the market value and selling price. And, if you were to accept a bid at an inflated price, your buyer may face financing problems, because an overpriced house will not appraise for the selling price.

What can you do to ensure you're not overpricing your home? Stick to the facts. You may want to hire a real estate appraiser for an objective unbiased estimate. Then consult with a real estate professional who can help you determine true market value based on a comparable market analysis. The key is to work with your real estate professional to price right and create a strategic marketing plan that creates excitement from the moment your home debuts on the market.

Don't let the temptation to overprice keep you from your best chance of getting the best price, quickly.

Tina Baril, Prudential Gardner Realtors

800 N.Causeway Blvd

Mandeville, LA 70448

Office (985) 626-8589

 Cell  (985) 249-8081

Prudential Gardner, Realtors   •   985-249-8081   •   tina@tinabaril.com   •   http://www.tinabaril.com/?CertContactID=0&CampElementID=0

We're in our homes day in and day out. Indeed, our homes are where we spend the majority of our time. As time passes, inevitably things wear out, or we're ready for a bit of a change. Suddenly you're up to your eyeballs in drywall with a human-sized hole in what was once your bedroom wall, and you're wondering where you went wrong.

Home improvement isn't just something to do to change things up around the house. It's an investment that can have a marked impact on the value of your home. The possibilities are innumerable, but what improvements will yield the greatest value? Here are some of the top-ranking home improvements driving the selling market today.

Growing Prosperous Through Paint
One of the easiest and least expensive ways to increase your home's appeal, a well placed paint job can improve the visual allure of your home's interior. While painting may not have a remarkable effect on the overall value of your home, it can have a significant impact on the likelihood of your home selling at your desired price.

Cookin' Kitchens
If you're considering remodeling or redesigning your kitchen, you're thinking like a pro. A well designed, spacious kitchen is worth its weight in gold. Not only does it benefit those that live in the home, but generates some of the highest recuperation of remodeling expenses, as well as generating a 5-10% increase in the value of your home. A kitchen equipped with modern appliances, nice counter tops, and new cabinetry will certainly be an investment to pursue if you are considering remodeling or renovating your home.

Bathrooms Equal Bank
Bathrooms are another big player when it comes to home improvements. If you've watched any home improvement shows over the last couple of years you've no doubt seen many people turning a plain old bathroom into an elegant piece of tiled artwork; and for good cause. Bathrooms are a major consideration when purchasing a home. Adding a bathroom can also be a boon to those wanting to increase the value of their home, often yielding in a 5-10% jump. One word of caution before you start knocking down those walls, however. Replacing a bedroom with a bathroom is a definite faux pas, and can really drive down value.

Windows are a win
Aside from their obvious aesthetic qualities, windows add more perceived space to a home. A house that feels more spacious will sell as if it were more spacious. Windows are fairly inexpensive to install, and their overall impact on your home's value can be quite noticeable.

Hit the Deck
Think of a deck as a way to increase your overall square footage without all of the costs and hassle associated with adding a new room to your home. More living area is an automatic increase in a home's overall value. As a general rule of thumb, if you're going to be adding a deck to your home, the square footage of the deck should never be more than one-third of the interior square footage.

So, before you start digging that pool in your living room, consider these home improvements that are guaranteed to build upon your home's value!

Sincerely

Tina Baril

Searching for homeowners insurance can become a job in itself.  If you would like an idea of the costs for homeowners insurance, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has a website with useful information.  Visit my website: tinabaril.com  and Click the blue link to the left that says La. Dept. of Insurance and it will bring you directly to the website.

If you scroll to the bottom of the page there is a link on the lefthand side that says Homeowners rate comparison guide 2007.  Click this link and it opens a pdf file that compares homeowners rates.  There are also links to floodsmart.gov and the Road Home program. 

It's now been about 2 years since Hurricane Katrina, and I still get calls from folks who want to move back to the New Orleans metro area.  Families call from Arkansas, Florida, Texas and even within Louisiana-still in trailers.  Large parts of New Orleans have still not recovered and as a result families are choosing to live in surrounding areas: East and West Jefferson & St. Charles Parish and St. Tammany Parish. 

I was born in New Orleans and raised on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish, and my work over the years has brought me all over the southeast part of Louisiana.  I am familiar with a lot of the neighborhoods.  I still travel around to the different parishes because my own family lives in different parts of "Cajun" country.   

If you are considering moving back, and need help or have any questions you can give me a call and I will be happy to help. 

Tina Baril

Prudential Gardner, Realtors

985-626-8589

www.TinaBaril.com