How to Sell your Home in No Time

Here are four top tips for getting your house ready to list for a ton of interest and potential bids:

Give Your Yard Attention

Cleaning up your yard and making it look welcoming will attract more potential buyers; curb appeal can add as much as 5 percent value to your home—and there are many improvements that can give you a large return on investment. Some of the best options are upgrading your mailbox, fixing your siding and adding walkways.

 Paint Inside and Out

Buyers want to see a fresh, clean space when they visit your home. By painting inside and out, you have the chance to apply a neutral tone throughout the home. Agents often tell sellers to use a bold color on the front door to add appeal and draw the eye to the entrance. Consider hiring a professional painter to help ease the process.

 Price Your Home Intelligently

The right sales price for your home is often the best way to sell your home quickly. If priced too high, you may scare buyers away before they even come to an open house, but, if priced too low, you may lose out on money. Work with your agent to price your home appropriately for your location! 

 Depersonalize the Space

Buyers want to look at a home as if they are moving in. Staging experts suggest that you rent a storage room and pack up everything that shows your family, pets or lifestyle until the home sells. Another idea is to hire a professional staging company to give you some tips.  They will provide insight into the colors, accent walls and accessories that'll play up the characteristics of your home, making for a great house showing. If you follow these tips, you should be on the road to selling your home in no time!

To Search for homes visit https://homesalesneworleans.gardnerrealtors.com/

Buying a Home Today is More Affordable Than Renting

If you are renting but have been thinking about buying a home for awhile, here is a great article published by RISMEDIA that might help you make the right choice:

http://rismedia.com/rrein/22267/1023666/5079737/84283?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

To search for homes in the Greater New Orleans Area 

go to

http://www.homesalesneworleans.com/

This is What Buyers Want in a Home

Home builders across the United States are most likely to focus on “convenience, livability and energy efficiency” when constructing a typical single-family home today, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders.

Beyond those big three features, plenty of other “practical and functional” amenities were cited by the builders in the survey as key selling points, so I found examples of some of them.

For more ideas visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

MAKE YOUR HOME MOVE-IN READY!

The moment you even begin to think of putting your home up for sale is the time to start thinking like a buyer. Why? Because thinking like a buyer will help you make your home move-in ready for just the right buyer. The less they think about what  they have to change, the shorter the distance will be between the viewing, their offer, and the day you say, “Sold.”

1.      Host a pre-listing party. Invite a few trusted friends over for an inventory. Make some cocktails and go from room to room in your home asking what they would either change if they were to buy your house, or see as a red flag if they were a potential buyer. This can help you create a solid list of potential improvements to discuss with your Realtor before you list.

2.      Consult with a great agent. Now that you have your friends’ opinions, run them by an expert.  See which problems you should address before listing and which fixes won’t be of financial benefit. 

3.      De-clutter. Closets get full. Extra pieces of furniture get crammed into corners. Bookshelves overflow with odds and ends. Help the potential buyers see your actual home and not the stuff in your home by moving out the extras. Try renting a portable storage unit that can be delivered to your home. This way, you can box up extras, and they’ll be ready to be delivered to your next dream home. In the meantime, you’ll be making room for someone else’s dreams.

4.      Clean out the garage. The future owners of your home want to know that their cars can fit into the garage.

5.      Think neutral. It’s hard for potential buyers to see themselves in a home that has you written all over it.  Since your home is soon to not be your home anymore, consider taking any brightly or bold-colored walls back to neutral. A simple beige satin wall paint with a semi-gloss white or off-white pain trim can do wonders for giving potential buyers the “blank canvas” feeling. You want future owners to be dreaming of picking out paint — not how to get rid of not-right-for-them color decisions.

6.      Grout, tile, and natural stone restoration. Have your bathrooms and kitchen counters lost their luster? You might want to look into having them refreshed (and it’s much less expensive than having them redone).  For not a lot of money, you can kick up the shine on your tiling and counters and get that long-neglected grout back to clean.

7.      Make those hardwood floors spiffy. Wash all surfaces with a simple mild, soapy water first (avoid Murphy’s Oil Soap — it leaves a residue). Next, use a hardwood floor polish like Bona or a product like Rejuvenate to bring the beauty back — and all for under $40-$50 for the average sized home. Be sure to use the cleaners recommended by each product to prevent buildup and to keep the shine going through your whole listing. There’s nothing that can kill a deal like your perfect buyer thinking that they have to refinish a few thousand square feet of hardwood. Help them see hope, not hardwood-related dollar signs.

 For more information visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

Location of Sex Offenders, Drug Labs and Toxic Dumps on Listing Pages

In a bid to bring transparency in online real estate search to new heights, RealtyTrac has baked a batch of data on unpalatable neighborhood characteristics into its listing detail pages.

The information — which could be construed as a massive collection of red flags — includes the location and details of environmental hazards such as underground spills, polluters and hazardous waste sites, as well as former drug labs, sex offenders and building permit activity.

RealtyTrac evens the playing field between heart and mind by helping consumers see behind the air-brushed perfection of typical real estate information.

RealtyTrac obtains most of its inventory through listing syndicator ListHub rather than IDX feeds. But in a growing number of markets where broker members of the RealtyTrac Network supply the site with IDX feeds, listings represented by all brokers participating in IDX — not just RealtyTrac’s partners — are accompanied by information on nearby criminal and sex offenders, environmental hazards, and other information that could rattle listing brokers and their seller clients.

RealtyTrac is importing the new neighborhood data from the Homefacts.com, which it acquired in 2012. Like Homefacts.com, RealtyTrac’s local information, including the information it’s just added, appears in “tiles” that paint a picture of a listing’s surroundings.

For more information visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

THE FUTURE OF SHORT SALES

Short sales and foreclosures played a starring role during the Great Recession. According to National Association of REALTORS® statistics, in the summer of 2009, distressed sales made up just under 50 percent of all transactions as. Fast forward to last fall, and that number dropped to only 14 percent.

Short sales are becoming less common for many reasons. For one, many markets are now well into recovery mode. Home values are rising and sellers who were underwater only a year ago have a bit more breathing room today. With fewer homeowners in financial distress—and the worst of the cleanup from the housing bubble behind us—banks and courts are finally processing through their backlogs of distressed properties. And employment growth means more homeowners can afford to stay in their homes and make their mortgage payments.

In addition, short sales are becoming less favorable for sellers. For the last few years, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, which protects sellers from having to pay tax on unpaid or forgiven debt, has made short sales a viable option for many underwater homeowners. However, the Act was sunset at the end of 2013. A short sale in 2014 could significantly impact your tax obligation, making it less attractive.

Buyer interest in distressed properties has also cooled. Too much hassle, and most short sales and foreclosures are not such a great deal after all. Finally, lenders themselves are also less interested in short sales. As market values increase, there is less need for lender/borrower negotiated sales. Added to that, the return of third-party purchasers (institutional investors or cash buyers purchasing at foreclosure auctions) is shifting the pendulum back toward traditional foreclosure auction and REO.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT http://findneworleansproperties.com/ 

THIS IS WHAT COMING TO THE JOY THEATRE

Power of Gray in Staging

Gray is a subtle color that can bring sophistication to interiors while also the neutrality that home buyer crave.

It’s the hot new neutral, a sleek and sophisticated color option that adds refinement to almost any room. Walls that are painted gray are great backdrops for almost any style of décor, and gray is such a dignified color that it can elevate the appearance of even the most modest furnishings.

Gray can be a great color choice for embellishments throughout interiors, such as a gray wash on wood furniture or the fabric in seating.

2014 color forecast expects grey to be used more in homes, and the grey’s flashier cousin, silver, used as an important accent color.

For more tips and suggestions visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

The Color of 2014

Move over Emerald, there’s a new hot color in town. Get ready to embrace purple in 2014.

 “Radiant Orchid” as the “2014 Color of the Year.” This attention-getting hue a “captivating, magical, enigmatic purple” that is expected to catch on in everything from home interiors, accent pieces, and accessories to clothing lines in 2014.

“An enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple, and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love, and health,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.”

The color complements olive and deeper hunter greens as well as makes a great combo when paired with turquoise, teal, and light yellows. It can also help liven up neutrals, such as gray, beige, and taupe.

Radiant Orchid will replace the 2013 color of the year, Emerald.

For Real Estate related tips visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

Living Smart: What to Do about that Neighbor's Pesky Tree

If roots or branches of a neighbor’s tree pose problems for you, it’s likely you have the right to take action, even if the neighbor won’t.

Tree laws vary widely, but most permit homeowners to trim overhanging branches or overreaching roots that cause damage, create danger or obstruct a view, according to highly rated tree service providers and an expert on tree and neighbor law.

The right carries some limitations. One of the main ones is that whatever action you take to remedy the problem can’t lead to permanent damage to the tree. Also, some communities have ordinances restricting which trees can be cut or removed, regardless of whose property they’re on.

Talk to your neighbors before hiring a tree company. Not only is it simple courtesy, it may make the job easier for your professional.

Make sure you know for sure who owns the tree. If the full trunk is in your neighbor’s yard, the neighbor owns the tree, no matter how many branches or roots grow on your side of the property line. If the trunk rests on multiple properties, all owners must agree to trimming or removal.

Be sure you know your local laws, ordinances and restrictions. The bottom line in nearly every area is that any trimming efforts must not cause the tree permanent damage. Be aware that in many places, you’re responsible for paying for damage caused if a neighbor’s tree falls on your property. The case may be different if the neighbor’s tree is dead.

Consult a certified arborist and, possibly, a real estate attorney. If you have any questions about tree ownership or the potential effects of trimming or cutting, it’s best to get expert advice from a qualified professional.

Visit http://findneworleansproperties.com/

What to Expect in 2014

Freddie Mac recently released its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for November showing that the major shift for the coming year will be a transition from a refinance-dominated mortgage market to the first purchase-dominated market the industry has seen since 2000.

Interest rates are expected to rise gradually throughout 2014 with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ending the year near 5 percent with affordability still strong in most markets. However, rising rates will hinder affordability in high-priced markets.

Projecting housing starts to rise to a 1.15 million pace in 2014, which should help to create around 700,000 new jobs and quicken the pace of economic growth.

Gains in home sales will be limited by continuing tight inventory in many markets, but anticipate sales to rise about 5 to 6 percent in 2014 from 2013 levels.

Expect home values to continue rising but at a more moderate pace, around 5 to 6 percent annualized. And expect multifamily property investments to continue to be relatively attractive as we enter 2014, compared with the first decade of the 2000s, based on the Freddie Mac Multifamily Investment Index.

For Real Estate related information go to http://findneworleansproperties.com/

Handing Down a Family Vacation Home

Vacation homes are often places where happy family memories are made. Unfortunately, they can also be the source of headaches and disputes when heirs disagree about how to manage them.

So, as many second homeowners are closing up their family retreats for the season, it might be a good idea for those at or nearing retirement age to think about how they might pass the asset down to the next generation — especially when multiple children and their spouses will be entering into joint ownership.

Create a Master Plan: Before anything else, have honest conversations about whether there’s an interest in keeping the home. After crunching the numbers, it might not be desirable or feasible. Even if there is no mortgage, there are taxes and maintenance costs. Plus, there’s the cost of traveling to and from the home to use it.

If everyone is still game, create a master plan for the home, detailing its long-term future and how it will be handed down. For example, decide if the home is to be a place of solitude or used for frequent entertaining. Discuss any plans to develop the property further.

Also, it might be a good idea to discuss the idea of renting out the home when it’s not in use. A recent report from HomeAway, an online marketplace for vacation rentals, found that vacation rental owners were able to make, on average, $1,778 for a weekly rental over this summer. If all this planning feels like you’re treating the home like a business, you’re on the right track. This mission statement should be formal and set some structure for how the home will be used.

When there are multiple people who will gain ownership of the property, it’s also best to appoint someone as manager. That person will pay the insurance premiums, utility bills or repair the roof in the case of an emergency, she said. Sometimes the role of manager is rotated every couple of years, and it often comes with a reward of an extra time slot at the vacation home or a longer or a more desirable slot.

House Rules: By establishing house rules, everyone is clear about how time slots to use the vacation home are chosen, and how they need to leave the home once they’re done. Some families create a checklist to ensure towels are washed, folded and put away; the dishwasher is empty; and perishables are removed from the refrigerator. Failure to follow the rules can bring consequences, such as having your next use period shortened by a day or having the last pick of time slot next season. Or, if a professional cleaner has to come to tidy up after you, you might have to pick up the bill.

It’s also important to create rules on how someone can get rid of their share of the home — especially if they don’t have the means to pay expenses.

For real estate related tips http://findneworleansproperties.com/

How To Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests

Is your home ready for holiday visits from friends and family? Here’s how to prepare for the invasion.

Some preparations for holiday guests take only a few minutes; some take a lot longer. Start preparing your home for the holidays now.

Declutter guest rooms and public areas — foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it’s out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now.

Light the way: Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can’t. Make sure outside lights are working so they don’t trip on the way to your door. Put motion-activated night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms to ensure safe passage after the sun sets.

Child proofing: Ask parents to bring hardware that keeps their small ones safe, such as baby gates and cabinet locks. Transfer toxic cleaners and medicines from base to wall cabinets. Hide matches and lighters.

Entryway upgrades

Your home’s foyer is the first place guests see, so make a good first impression.

·         Upgrade exterior entry doors or give old doors a new coat of paint. Polish and tighten door hardware, and oil hinges to prevent squeaks.

·         Clear out shoes, umbrellas, and other clutter.

Kitchen prep

Your kitchen is command central during the holidays, so make sure it’s ready for guests and extra helpers.

·         Move your coffee station into a family room so guests don’t crowd the kitchen when you’re trying to fix meals.

·         If you like to visit while you’re cooking, place extra stools and chairs around the perimeter of your kitchen so guests can set a spell.

Bathroom storage

Bring toilet paper, towels, and toiletries out of hiding, and place them on open shelves so guests can find them easily.

If you don’t have enough wall space for shelves, place these items in open baskets around the bathroom.

Also, outfit each tub with a bath mat (to avoid falls) and each toilet with a plunger (to avoid embarrassment).

For other tips go to http://findneworleansproperties.com/

GREAT SPACES

Celine Dion sold more than 200 million albums worldwide.  She is so amazing  that she built herself her very own private resort, complete with a water park! Who in the world has their own water park!? Celine Dion does, and that $72.5 million compound is now up for grabs.

Dion’s Jupiter Island, Fla., estate sits on nearly six acres and has more than 400 feet of waterfront. Celine designed the compound herself! She purchased the estate’s two homes for $12.5 million and $7 million each back in 2004 and 2008, respectively. Increasing home values, the home’s three pools and water park, as well as the prime oceanfront make up for the price tag. The water park itself includes slides and a lazy river at the bottom, along with a foot bridge for the kids.

Inside, the home continues to boast a Bahamian-style resort feel, with five bedrooms fit for any diva. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet with an automated rack for clothing and shoes. A wrap-around terrace with a hot tub is attached. Celine’s guests have an entirely separate guesthouse to spread out among eight additional bedrooms.

For information on homes for sale go to http://findneworleansproperties.com/

PRIDE OF HOME OWNERSHIP

In such a depleted real estate market as we see today it’s not often that a really nice home comes up for sale. Here is one that is definitely going to grab buyers’ attention. Listed only a few days ago, it shows the pride of ownership.

2313 Burdette St., New Orleans, LA 70118

For more information on this home or other homes in the Greater New Orleans use this link

or visit 

findneworleansproperties.com

Quintessential New Orleans side hall home just listed for sale

This home has been stylishly renovated into a 2 bedroom 2 bath luxury home with a cocktail pool and pool house. Gorgeous white marble kitchen with high end appliances. Outdoor wood burning chimney with arbor and mature grape vine. Perfect location not too far uptown for easy downtown access. Walkable neighborhood. $500,000

For information on homes and condos for sale in New Orleans visit
FindNewOrleansProperties.com

NEW DEVELOPMENT ON MAGAZINE STREET

By the end of 2013 construction is expected to begin on a three-story, residential-retail project to be built on a 13,600-square-foot empty lot at 2802 Magazine St. in near the Irish Channel. Developer earned Historic District Landmarks Commission clearance in October to build the mixed-use project. The project would take about 12 to 14 months to complete. The building will be near the corner of Magazine Street and Washington Avenue between Coquette restaurant and Sake Café. It will include about 4,500-square-feet of ground floor retail space for two tenants.

Developers will set up a condo regime for seven units on the second and third floors but initially rent them out as apartments. No decision has been made as to when, or if, developers will sell the units. Six of the seven units will be 1,400 square feet, and a penthouse will be closer to 2,000. All units will have two bedrooms. No prices have been listed for the residential units.

For more information on Real Estate in New Orleans visit FindNewOrleansProperties.com

Home Prices Continue to Soar in May

Data through May 2013 showed consistent increases in home prices in May versus April. Dallas and Denver reached record levels surpassing their pre-financial crisis peaks set in June 2007 and August 2006, and five cities – Atlanta, Chicago, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle – posted monthly gains of over three percent, also a first time event.

The time to buy is NOW!

To buy a home in the Greater New Orleans Area search HERE

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CREOLE COTTAGES IN UPTOWN, NEW ORLEANS

In the city of New Orleans the term Creole cottage tends to be more narrowly defined as a one story house with a gabled roof, the ridge of which is parallel to the street.

I love the cottages in New Orleans. Some features of this style of house are thought to be influences from places in France's former colonial empire. The front porches are believed to originate from the Caribbean islands. The high gabled roof is thought to be of French Canadian origin.

HOMES AND CONDOS, NEW ORLEANS, LA