covington real estate: Louisiana Weather... Never The Same! - 12/18/13 03:59 AM

One of my favorite movies is "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and the best line is when Paul Rudd sings "Oh the weather outside is... weather." 
At a time when it's supposed to be "Oh the weather outside is frightful, and the fire is so delightful... as if we have no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." 
Yeah right. Insert the state of Louisiana and bam; you're sweating to death. It's 67 degrees today in this great state. And inside, the heater is running because it's December 18 and supposed to be cold. My poor clients … (0 comments)

covington real estate: Looking for Positive Energy? Get on the Bus! - 11/14/13 05:52 AM

 
Last week at a conference, the key note speaker and his wife told our group about a book called the Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon. I, of course, didn't think anything of it, but loved his presentation. A member of my team, being the woman she is, ran right out to buy the book to see what it was all about. She loved it so much, she's basically making me read it. 
And let me tell you, I'm only on page 25, but I'm already loving it. So often, in such a negative world, it's easy to get frustrated … (2 comments)

covington real estate: Stores are Opening Earlier This Year for Black Friday - 11/14/13 02:09 AM
  Is it me, or does Target opening at crack of dawn on Thanksgiving day bother anyone else? I mean, I'm all for watching women fight over the toaster oven that is $156.00 off and laughing, but seriously? I promise, if my mom leaves Thanksgiving dinner to go sit out in line at Target, we will probably have to have a Intervention. 
It's just too much. These corportations are ruining watching football, eating wayyyyyy too much turkey and setting up the family Christmas tree. And plus, the poor workers who have to miss time with their family on this holiday so … (3 comments)

covington real estate: Ever have one of THOSE days? - 11/05/13 05:26 AM
Today, my friends, is one of those days. The kind of day that you can't wait for closing time so you can go drink a lot of... water. Sure, we'll go with water. 
It's the kind of day that starts out like this: you're running 20 minutes late because your phone died in the middle of the night and your alarm didn't go off. Then, you wash your hair with conditioner. Twice. Then you finally get in the car to head to the office, and you forgot your phone (that's still dead). And we all know, your phone is your lifeline … (0 comments)

covington real estate: Help! How to Deal with Divorced Sellers? - 11/04/13 01:24 AM

I'm currently trying to sell a home where the owners are two days away from being divorced. And let's just say, they do NOT see eye to eye. It's like they're purposefully trying to get on each others nerves and fight.
And to make matters worse, they keep arguing and fighting in front of me and their two children. Everything is just so awkward. 
I've tried my best to stay calm, cool and collective, because that's just how I am. However, these two clients are making this process so much harder than it needs to be. I get it, a … (0 comments)

covington real estate: Why Hello Classroom! - 10/30/13 07:56 AM

Today, I was in Monroe, La. participating in a class for Keller Williams. And let me tell you, I do not miss the class setting. Sitting in my desk, taking notes on how to be a better realtor and team leader, I thought back to when I was in college. Sitting in a class I had no interest in (because it didn't pertain to football). But today, I was actually sitting in a classroom, taking notes because I couldn't be more interested in real estate and how to better my business than I am now. Class, I don't miss you. … (2 comments)

covington real estate: What Does Football Teach Us About Leadership? - 10/27/13 06:28 AM
Today, I'm watching the New Orleans Saints game. Sidenote: I still am completely in allegiance to the Carolina Panthers. But, I'm in Louisiana, and it's all Saints, all the time. 
While trying to get some things together for work tomorrow, I start really paying attention to Drew Brees and his leadership on the field. And it got me to thinking: if he can be such a good leader (and I'm only using Drew as an example for a quarterback... Please don't attack me if you're another teams fan. hah.) in those few seconds between plays and get everyone on the same … (1 comments)

covington real estate: Start Packing... NOW! - 10/25/13 02:19 AM
I have some clients (I feel like I always start my stories that way) who have to be out of their home in a week. But, they haven't even started to pack.... ANYTHING. 
I keep dropping hints that they need to begin packing. I mean, they've lived in their home for 10 years. I lived in mine for 1 year and it still took me a few weeks and one frantic night of just throwing things in duffel bags to get it all out. And here they are, one week from needing to be out of their home, and they don't … (1 comments)

covington real estate: Keep Mandeville Beautiful Program Gets Award - 10/21/13 07:34 AM
  The Keep Mandeville Beautiful high school anti-litter awareness program was selected to receive the Most Innovative Program award in the state of Louisiana.
 
The award was presented recently at a luncheon in the Old Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge at the Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) state conference.
 
Accepting the award were Susan Russell, KMB Director, and Meg Denny, a senior student at Fontainebleau High who served on the steering committee.
 
The award is presented by KLB each year to an affiliate, nonprofit organization, civic group or governmental entity that has introduced a successful environmental initiative that is particularly creative … (0 comments)

covington real estate: 7 Ways to Get Rid of Spam... For-ev-errr - 10/18/13 12:52 AM
Whether you simply want to reduce the clutter in your email inbox or you’re concerned about the security of your information and hardware, here are some practical tips to reduce the spam you receive:

1. Sign up for Gmail. Gmail actively works on your behalf to reduce the unwanted email that appears in your inbox by identifying prolific producers of spam and sending messages from those producers directly to your spam folder. Google recently added a “Promotions” folder to Gmail that filters messages that are clearly advertisements—but may actually be offers you want to see.

2. Unsubscribe buttons work. Well, they … (1 comments)

covington real estate: "Can I leave my Halloween Decorations up?" - 10/17/13 12:14 AM

I'm one of those weird agents that believes a quality picture can help sell a home. 
One pet peeve of mine is logging on to a website to check out a house for a client, and the pictures look like the other agent took them with his/her cell phone and uploaded it. I believe hiring a professional to take the photos speaks volumes for my clients, and helps potential buyers want to actually come to look at the home. Sidenote: It's an expensive service, so I want to make sure the home looks better than best, so we can get … (3 comments)

covington real estate: Come to the World's Largest Free Fair! - 10/16/13 04:42 AM
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ever live in a small town where all the residents look forward to one event all year long? Well, all residents of Washington Parish count down the days until the World's Largest Free Fair takes place. And you should get excited about it too! 
 
In October, the enthusiastic crowds, once again flow through the front entrance into our beautiful fair grounds to enjoy the Washington Parish Free Fair. It is a family fair. Folks come from all over the country to enjoy the … (1 comments)

covington real estate: 24th Annual Wooden Boat Festival in Mandeville - 10/11/13 01:28 AM
It's one of my favorite times of the year! It's time, once again, for the Wooden Boat Festival. If you are in south Louisiana this weekend, please come check it out. I promise, it's something you won't want to miss if you're in the area! The details are below:   
WHAT:The 24th Annual Wooden Boat Festival, presented by Michelob Ultra, will again be held along the banks of the scenic Tchefuncte River in Madisonville, LA. Attendees will enjoy live local music, mouth-watering food, arts and crafts, Children’s Village, the ever-popular Toyota Quick ’n’ Dirty Boat-Building Contest and a classic car show.
… (0 comments)

covington real estate: What Day Is It? - 10/09/13 06:49 AM
Today, I had a dear friend lose her job because she works for a public university and budget cuts are hitting our state hard. She called me crying, because she was finally in a good position and was about to try to buy a new home, to tell me that she'd been laid off. She felt bad letting me know that she no longer needed my services because she was out of a job, which meant she was out of money. 
This taught me a lesson today. We are not always promised that we will have a job and steady income … (34 comments)

covington real estate: iOS 7... How to Keep Up With Apple! - 10/07/13 06:05 AM
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you're experiencing issues with iOS 7, you're stuck with it. Once you downloaded iOS 7, switching back to iOS 6 was lost as a possibility a few days after 7's launch when Apple stopped digitally signing older versions. However, you can still improve your experience with iOS 7, even if you are running it on an iPhone 4. Here are some tips on how to improve the speed of your device running Apple's new operating system. 

1.) Stop iOS 7 from checking for new data via third-party … (4 comments)

covington real estate: HOW SELLERS CAN SAVE WITH PRELISTING INSPECTIONS - 09/24/13 06:05 AM

Home inspections have the power to send all parties back to the negotiation table. As such, some sellers are taking the precautionary step of having an inspection done before listing the home for sale. Some real estate professionals say that having a home inspection prior to listing can offer several benefits to the seller.
 
“The buyer has the upper hand when they have an inspection,” says Jessica Edwards, Coldwell Banker consumer specialist and real estate professional.
 
“If you are willing to do it ahead of time, you give the control back to the seller.”
 
Sellers who have a home … (1 comments)

covington real estate: 9/11/01-- #ProudToBeAnAmerican #NeverForget - 09/11/13 06:51 AM

 
 
It's crazy to think that just 12 years ago (has it really been that long ago?), so many people went to work that day, and didn’t make it home to their families for dinner. So many lives changed, so many American Flags flying around.
Each year, on this date, we post Facebook statuses about where we were and what we were doing when this occurred, and we fly our American flags proudly. But, the next day, we go on about our business.
I would just like to take this time to say this: if you or … (1 comments)

covington real estate: Pontchartrain Center To Host Lagniappe Classic Dog Show - 07/24/13 02:24 AM

 
Dog enthusiasts will want to visit the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner on Aug. 1 through 4 for the Lagniappe Classic Dog Show. The Metairie Kennel and Louisiana Kennel clubs will host the all-breed, American Kennel Club-sanctioned event. The seven-group competition features daily breed contests, with the winners advancing to the division contest. 
The top seven divisional winners will compete for the day’s Best of Show honor. More than 1,000 dogs are entered for the show, representing as many as 124 different breeds and varieties that are recognized in the official registry of the American Kennel Club. Competitors from across the United States will … (0 comments)

covington real estate: Covington Bicentennial Parade to Celebrate the City - 06/26/13 11:04 PM
CovingtonBicentennialParade-June29
The New Orleans Saints Superfans will also be riding in the parade as special guests on Saturday, June 29. The Superfans participating include fan favorites Fleur-D-Licious, Who Dat Chef, Whistle Monster, Mack the Quack the Who Dat Clown, Gris-Gris Man, Soul Saint, Stunt Double Coach and the Saints Joker, all of whom plan to participate on a float decorated by Covington’s own Superfan, The Sign Man, Larry Rolling.
The Bicentennial Parade will feature the city’s past, present and future by incorporating groups that represent every aspect of the city’s life. Floats and antique cars will hold the city’s dignitaries, including … (0 comments)

covington real estate: The Williams Team Loves Wednesdays. - 05/15/13 05:38 AM

 
Today is hump day, my favorite day of the week, believe it or not. 
And, on top of being my favorite day of the week, it's also a b-e-a-utiful day outside. Here in South Louisiana, it's either one extreme of the other. It's either a blistering 101 degrees with 100% humidity, or 40 degrees. It's usually the first one. 
Well, today, it's 77 degrees and breezy. The sun is shining, and the wind is blowing, and my team and I are loving it. It's one of those rare perfect days, where it's not too hot or too cold, and … (0 comments)