New Orleans Real Estate by Eric

You get busy when you are going somewhere. I am flying to San Francisco in a couple of hours. One client called and wants to write and an offer on a condo that I have listed. I am waiting on a counter offer on another listing that I have. The office misplaced a file on a listing that I have had for a year,they have lost it twice. I have a sale tommorow that is being taken care of. I did the final walk through and the sellers tentant left it dirty. An appraiser called me on the way home to schedule an appraisal but the security has the key. Two clients wanted to see things this weekend. Have an inspection for Monday which is handled. My back up is full but the experience will be great for him. Just got the grass mowed before the afternoon rain. No chance of rain in Ca. but the weather will be cooler. The cell phone is off. Its stressful to go places in a certain sense. Should have plenty of new photos when I return. Time to go, last time I left Katrina hit New Orleans, Wow lets go!!

As a realtor I have helped many clients buy a home or a condo using Jefferson Parish Bond money. Most local lenders will have this bond money which will fit into most types of loans. The interest rate is competitive with today's rates. You do not have to be a first time buyer. If you find something for 150k the bond authority will give you 4% of your loan amount. if you are borrowing 150k then that is $6000 for you to use to close. I have had several clients who have had only one thousand dollars and bought a condo. I sold 6-7 on the last issue. Your qualifying for a loan is the same as any loan. If you are looking in Metairie, Kenner, Harahan, River Ridge, Old Jefferson this could be a real bonus for you. we can always be a little creative and ask the seller to pay the 1.25% so the entire 4% can be used towards the home or condo. A condo is a great way to start. New Orleans Condos may give you some great ideas as to where to start your search  

Jefferson Parish is excited to announce a  NEW PROGRAM IN EFFECT NOW! 

Parish of Jefferson Bond Money 

6.39% Interest Rate 

1.00% origination fee & 0.25% discount points paid to the bond authority

4.00% assistance

for pre-paids, closing cost, or down payment

Income Limitations

Families of 2 or less: $62,760

Families of 3 or more: $73,220

Maximum Sales Price

$289,704

New & Existing Homes or Condos

New Orleans was hot today and the humidity was high. Its 10:30 and its still 81. The numbers do not seem hot but when combined with high humidity its tough. I have 3-4 appointments today in various areas of town and I was drenched by noon. You are in and out of the car which is hot. Then you visit a couple of empty houses where the air was off and you sweat again. Sellers should leave the a/c on 80 so it will cool faster.

I did not show any of the clients long enough to stop for an ice tea breaki was dragging by 3pm but had a couple of things left to do before an hour of downtime and a shower before going to a birthday party at Ruth's Chris Steaks which was someone else's treat. It was super cool and unlimited ice tea so I am now ready to do a listing on the website and a simple blog. Only 2 more months of this. How do you guys handle the heat if you have it? Ice Chest to go?

 Also went to another New Orleans icon this week and the a/c had just broken. They have several grills and I was fried starting out. Makes you want to think of our great snow in 1964 where the snow stayed on the ground for over a day. It piled up in drifts of 3-4 inches that Dec.  

New Orleans, LA » Put Your Local Weather Here
	81ºF 27ºC		Right Now CLOUDY Humidity: 62% Wind: SW, 6 mph Barometer: 29.95 inches Visibility: 10 miles

I am a baby boomer that does not plan on doing anything different as to where and how I live. I think I may be the exception, I like where I live and its been very exciting in New Orleans these past couple of years. I have lived in my home for 32 years. I have thought about a second home but I inherited a nice condo in Orange Beach, Alabama. My kids use it more than I do. People in Louisiana tend to stay here if there are jobs availiable for some reason most people cannot understand.

With that said I think we will see are some big changes in the next couple of years. Here are some things that I see beginning to happen.

1. Downsizing, why have a big old home to cool and heat. Who will buy these homes?
2. Second homes that will used more and more. Like split living. Boomers are more mobile than our parents.
3. New places will become popular. Not everyone wants to retire in Florida.
4. City living, with kids gone many will like to live near things where commutes are simplier. There are places where you can still walk.
5. Recreation areas, People here like to fish. They are building camps as homes where they can fish whenever.
6. Social Security may be having a hard time, will boomers cash in the expensive markets and move to cheaper areas with low taxes.
7. Your parents are Boomers,what are their plans.
8. Will many continue to work because they have not saved enough to retire or just like doing something useful. What areas will cater to this need.
9. Boomers here hate commutes and its an easy town to commute in.
10. Once the family leaves is there are a reson to keep boomers in their present locations?

I was reading another blog today The lifespan of a blog thru the lens of Google  that was written by Mitchell Jamel. I wanted to follow through on an idea that I had had for a while on updated my niche markets with timely updates written more like a blog. I have a lot of neighborhood pages on my New Orleans Condo site . Its an answer to a couple of questions that I always get asked about the area. I just decided to wirte an article as an intro to the page New Orleans Warehouse District Condos . It just taking the questions people are asking and writting about them.

I plan to return to the page and do an updated logo much like a news letter and add to it tommorow. Just wanted to share an idea that Mitchell made me sit down and complete. Websites and Blogs will be one before long but now I have but the Active Rain Blog and the site thats brings me business. Spread your knowledge and they will come to you.

You never know what you will find in homes or condos. You never know what type of people will be coming through your listings so it is always a good idea to over with your sellers to hide or remove things like watches, rings, money and things of value that could be taken. There have been people looking at homes that just wnat to case them or would pocket a valuable. Do not tempt them. This also goes legal drugs as people will look for these as well. it can happen in any neighborhood.

Last week I was showing a condo. The listing agent said the tentant was in Europe and it was OK to show. Took my clients in and all the shades were drawn, so I wanted to let some light in so they could view the apartment. The wife called to us and said come look at these guns in the bedroom. There were several automatic rifles and pistol laying by the bed, these were not hunting rifles. Of course we did not touch. In the den were several nice cameras with expensive telephoto lens laying on the table. There was also several piles of coins and money which did not look like much. Guess he went to the Casino as there were a lot of quarters. It all seemed a little odd so we hurried up and locked up. Can you believe the person would go to Europe and leave these things laying around when he know the unit would be shown. After we left I called the listing agent to give him and heads up on what we saw. It was a first for me.

Can you believe its college football season around the corner. LSU could have a great team but then has to play a lot of very good teams. The home games are Va. Tech which is tough every year and will be looking for the upset. It should be a steamy nite in Baton Rouge. South Carolina with Steve Spurrier come to town to show off. Then its the defending National Champs in the Gators, then its Auburn which is never an easy out. Arkansas is the last home game wanting revenge from their loss last year. Florida and LSU are the current picks to win and meet in the SEC championship game. Lest I forget an away game with the hated Tide and Nick Saban of Alabama. I cannot wait as most people in the South Eastern Conference. Its a lifestyle on Saturday. 

Dogs can be man's best friend most of the time most of the time. However they can make a showing complicated when they do not behave, smell, and the risk of strangers thinking it looks like their pet. Its best to figure out a way to get the dog out of the home when being viewed. Many time the realtor has to caox the dog into the yard,pen or garage. You need to plan ahead and have the owner help you out. I used to carry a box of dog bones as a listing I had had two big dogs. They learned what car looked like and that they would get a bone to sit in the driveway while we were looking. The dog pictured below was easy and I sold the home in three days. I would get there and let him in the yard with his leash, no problem.

The smells are the worst, the owner tends not to notice but visitors do. You have to explain that everyone would not love your dog and the smell as you. Maybe your mother can take the dog while we are selling the home. It can be a nite mare in warm weather. Best way to approach this is to be upfront and spell out the rules and eliminate the smells. 

The threat of the dog biting a client is always a danger as many dogs just want to guard the home. Have you ever gone to the door and had two attack dogs clawing on the door as you are getting the key out of the lock box. You say wow, we can see this one later! and the client says you first. Better later which is usually never.

Watch your step is another issue and can be another subject for a blog. Share your dog stories! 

"The Yat dialect is the most pronounced version of the New Orleans Accent. Natives often speak with varying degrees of the Brooklyn-esque accent, ranging from a slight intonation to what is considered full Yat. As with all dialects, there is variance by local speakers due to geographic, ethnic, racial, and social factors. This results in many different levels of Yat throughout the city, marking distinct differences between higher-income people, lower-income whites, lower-income African-Americans, and Creoles. African-American varieties of Yat have been significantly influenced by African American Vernacular English. Yat tends to differ in strength and intonation from neighborhood to neighborhood, regardless of race."

I have no idea who can find these definitions but its very true that the people of New Orleans have terms that you will only here in the Crescent City. Having moved here as a teenager I tended to notice as many of my best friends had Yats as parents. It took a while to catch on but then it was normal. Most people do not have what you wouuld think of Southern Accents here. You may have heard Harry Connick Jr., Peyton Manning, Ellen Degeneres, Winton Marselis, and Dr. John speak before and it not really Southern. Where y' at means hello and how are you.

Some common ones that I always thought were funny are noted below, some just come natural and others may have made it out of town. You can see why English was hard in school. 

• to pass by - to stop and visit someplace, such as a person's house
• regular coffee - coffee with sugar and milk; not black coffee
• locker - a closet
• grip - a small overnight bag, schoolbag, or suitcase
• boo - A term of endearment, often used by parents and grandparents.
• go cup - a paper or plastic cup for consuming alcoholic beverages on the go, usually in public
• charmer - a female Yat
• ya'mom'n'em* - "your mom and them" meaning your family
• flying horses - a merry-go-round, or specifically the merry-go-round in City Park
• make groceries or makin' groceries - to go grocery shopping; this phrase probably originated from the French expression for grocery shopping, "faire le marché"
• lagniappe - (IPA:['lænjæp]) a little something extra

In New Orleans the locals call the call the grassy area between boulevards and streets the "Neutral Ground" . The neutral grounds are all over the city. Some are really wide where kids can play ball, streetcars can ride down the middle, and some just big enough for linear gardners. There are some that were canals that have long been closed in. The way the name came about was that it was the dividing line between the Creoles and the American Newcomers in the early 1800s. The neutral gound was Canal Street that divided the French Quarter where the Creoles resided and the Garden District and the Uptown area. Canal Street was where a canal was never dug.