New Orleans Real Estate by Eric

Selling your New Orleans Condo! Print advertising is doing little to sell your Condo! People want to see it!

 Selling your Condo

      I stopped doing newspaper ads  6 years ago when I noticed no one would call on them.  The ads in the newspaper and in the real estate magazines are expensive and give you little or no return on your investment.  The small chance to sell via print ads is getting smaller by the year.  Wonder why newspapers and the post office are in trouble.  The Internet has taken over as the place to start your New Orleans condo search.

       Six years ago  is about the same time I got interested in websites and how they can promote your properties.  What can a person really learn about a property, only that it is precious and the very basics from print.  People want to see photos first.  You get showings if you can show off your property in the best possible light.

     The wide angle digital camera has become a "must have tool" in the current real estate business.   This leads into some the most  important way in which you need to promote you properties in the Internet age.  Make sure you take great photos that can high light the best features of your New Orleans condo.  The photos should promote what you are selling.  Its a lifestyle presentation in many cases.  You should capture the common areas of the condo association as well the interior features.

          In this photo I wanted to show the high ceilings, open floor plan, wood floors and the natural light from the large windows.  I figured it was also helpful to write on the photos to point out a feature at a time.  More than one feature tended to clutter the photo.

       Trying shots from different angles gives you a different look and gives you a different feel for the size of the rooms and other features.  You can always take a lot of photos and come back to clean up your mistakes.  I am always amazed that I never take enough.  Next time I will have to clean up the sink  as the photo tends to capture it all.   As a seller you should make every effort to have the property in tip top shape as this is the start of the selling process.   Start well and the chances go up in finishing well.

       Getting the photos of the better features of the common areas are important as well.  In this photo I wanted to show the historic nature of the complex as well as the pool and courtyard.  I took this from a second story window as I had never seen this angle before.  Each time I try to get some of the features I may have missed on previous shots.

     You can put up to 12 photos in the New Orleans MLS so an agent should use them wisely.  Using both the best features of the interior and common areas should give the viewer a feel for what they are getting or would like to look at.  A "picture is worth a thousand words" is never more true in real estate as in today's Internet marketing.

     I cannot only use the photos for the New Orleans MLS but can post them on Craig's list, local Blogs, websites, flyers, slideshows and even Face Book.  Is your agent doing this for you?

New Orleans Warehouse District-Lafayette Square Fall Concert series! Support Second Harvest Food Bank! Another Warehouse District Activity.

 Art , Music , Parks, Warehouse District

   One thing about Living in the Warehouse is there is always something going on. Now we are looking at the Saints games on Sundays.  The New Orleans Hornets season is getting close.  Now you can add in the Concert series at Lafayette Square each week.  Its Thursday which is a change from the Summer series.  

Second Harvest Food Bank brings back the Harvest the Music Fall Concert Series starting Thursday September 17th for seven weeks!  In its second year, Harvest the Music will feature celebrated regional and national artists including:   Irma Thomas, Anders Osborne, The Radiators, Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins and Blues Traveler (see complete schedule here ).  In addition to a free, weekly concert, concert-goers will enjoy food and drinks from local favorites.   An artists' village will feature artwork and crafts from regional artists as well as the Lafayette Square Conservancy's t-shirts.

Come out and support Second Harvest Food Bank in its fight against hunger in south Louisiana. 

Upcoming Concerts in the Square! Voted by Gambit readers as the best place to hear free live music, the fall is full of fun and free events:

September 24:  Harvest the Music 5:00 to 7:30 featuring Irma Thomas, Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs

October  1:  Harvest the Music 5:00 to 7:30 featuring Anders Osborneand Big Chief Monk Boudreaux

October 8: Harvest the Music 5:00 to 7:30 featuring The Radiators

October 15: Harvest the Music 5:00 to 7:30 featuring The Rebirth Brass Band

October 17 & 18: Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival 10:30 am to 7:30 pm featuring many artists including Buddy Guy, Richie Havens, Booby Rush, Irma Thomas and more

October 22: Harvest the Music5:00 to 7:30 featuring Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers

October 29: Harvest the Music 5:00 to 7:30 featuring Blues Traveler plus Shannon McNally

Harahan Condos, Elmwood Oaks has a lot going for it! A great Place to Live!

September 11th, 2009 Categories: Condo Listings, Jefferson Parish

     The Elmwood Oaks Condos located in the Elmwood Business Park are in a class by themselves in the Harahan area.  They remain one of the better buys for a two bedroom condo in all of East Jefferson.  The common areas are what stands out to most people.  The landscaped grounds, large pool, tennis courts, ample parking, secure entrance, low condo fees, balconies or patios, storage areas and much more make Elmwood Oaks a winner.   

      The condos are tucked into a corner of the Elmwood area and are close to the many businesses and warehouses that call Elmwood home.  The area is an easy commute to town of less the 25 minutes and you have several routes if traffic does back up.  You are 2-3 miles from Ochsner Hospital and less than a mile to the Mississippi River.

       There are never many unit available as people tend to stay longer and make it their home.  The values have remained steady.  The condos are now older so you see a number of the units have been redone or improvedupon.  The Elmwood Oaks Condos  were built as condo so you have a decent amount of storage area and a community type of layout.  The parking is easy with plenty of space.  Secure entrance to all hall ways and elevators to all floors.

     The large pool and picnic area are a focal point of the community.  There are enough things to say about the complex that I will present my new listing on a separate blog.  There are currently 3 units including the 2 bedroom condo I just listed.  There is a 3 bedroom unit and a condo foreclosure that needs some updates for 120k.    

   This a neat tool from Picnik.com. They came up with this slide show currently in beta testing.  What is neat is that all your photos are already there so it easy to move them in and out of the show.

    I had some questions about getting the photos in order. They actually answered my e-mail within an hour to say that they were still working on some of the issues. The premium package is only about $25 per year.

     These are a selection of the blog photos that I have used this year to give you a taste of the neighborhood where I work.  Lot of uses as you can visit one of my blogs where I use a lot of photos. www.neworleanscondotrends.com

Putting a Value on your New Orleans Condo Views ! Views and Windows do Matter!

Condo Knowledge

      One of the primary factors in the resale of your condo is the views.  You may not have paid extra for the views in the beginning if you were the original purchaser.  You just got first choice and you chose the one that you liked.  This is most likely the one that most people would have liked.  However all people do not think of resale.  The smart ones do.

     The views do not show up in the square footage prices so how do you quantify the views.  It only shows up in like type of units.  It is very hard to put a dollar figure on this factor but it does exist.  Since New Orleans has few high rise condos its not how high you are.  Most buildings here are not tall  but conversions of older buildings and homes.

      Light also figures into views as people like large windows that lets in natural light.  No one wants the afternoon sun heating up your condo but they want the reflective light.  Oddly enough most condos are exposed to the blistering heat of the New Orleans afternoon sun.  

      What you actually see is equally as important.  Looking at a trash can is not going to add values but getting a nice city view does matter.  Getting a nice city street view can be a great view.  It all depends on what people generally like.  People always ask about River Views but there are few high rises that have them in the under 600k range.