Bocage Subdivision is one of our steadiest growing neighborhoods in Alexandria, Louisiana over the past 10 years.  An afternoon drive through the area will offer anyone a first hand look at why the subdivision has remained so popular. When showing homes to buyers in this neighborhood they always comment on how well kept and family friendly the area seems. Purchasers are always happy to hear another plus for the subdivision is the desirable school district. As the local neighborhood real estate expert for Bocage I feel the continuing new construction is a true testament to the longevity and stability of this well established subdivision. The last two quarters of 2010 have seen ten sold properties with a median sales price of $220,000. For more information on Bocage Subdivision please fe... 11/12/2010

Market update for West Pointe Subdivision in Alexandria, Louisiana As one of Alexandria's premiere neighborhoods West Pointe offers top of the line amenities to buyers and a variety of architectural designs for all tastes. Whether you are looking for top notch new construction or just a large home with all the bells and whistles... this family friendly neighborhood has what you are looking for. West Pointe is located in west Alexandria which offers some of the areas preferred schools.  As the neighborhood real estate expert I stay abreast of all current market trends for West Pointe. The past six months (May 2010 to November 2010) has seen a gain of over $10,000 dollars in the average sold price compared to the previous six months(November 2009 to April 2010) of homes sold.             ... 11/11/2010

I usually hear from many sellers a reluctance to place their home on the market during the holiday season. I would say the biggest concern they have is being inconvenienced during this time of year. Next would be the misconception that buyers do not look during November through December. The truth is that this festive time of year can offer the seller wonderful opportunities. Below are some of the top reasons to have your property on the market during the holidays. 1. Less homes are on the market this time of year which equals less competition for you the seller.2. Serious buyers look during the holidays.3. Shoppers do buy homes as Christmas presents.4. Buyers shopping this time of year will choose a home normally in under 60 Days.5. Homes are purchased on emotion. Do you think your pr... 11/02/2010

 One cannot log on the Internet or click the TV remote without hearing tales of homeowners being "underwater". Thankfully, such accounts do not involve Americans losing their homes to flooding. In the real estate world "underwater" simply means that the property is not worth what it would take to pay off the mortgage. So what's a homeowner to do? 1) Find out if you REALLY are underwater--Real Estate is a local game. A TV program filmed in Las Vegas does not reflect the local market in your neighborhood. Contact a local Realtor, or pay an appraiser (roughly 400 bucks) to find out what your home is worth. For most Americans fear of being underwater are unfounded. 2) Tread Water-- Just like they taught you at the Red Cross as a child. Sometimes the best thing to do is to keep doing what y... 10/29/2010

Before deciding which house to buy, think about your lifestyle, your current and anticipated housing needs, and your budget especially so you don't become HOUSE POOR. It's a good idea to create a prioritized list of features, wants and needs for your next home - you'll soon discover finding the right house involves striking a balance between your "must-haves" and your "nice-to-haves." To start, consider your lifestyle. If you love to cook, you'll want a large well-equipped kitchen. If you're into gardening, you'll want a yard with space. If you're planning your office at home, you may want a room for a library or work space. If you have several cars, you may require a larger garage. Use this list as your search guide. Next, think about what you might need in the future. As you consider... 10/28/2010

 Stress is a part of any modern life. As a Realtor, husband, dad to four daughters, instructor, etc... life stays interesting to say the least. Since 2004, that handsome greyhound has been my greatest source of stress relief.  Deal gone south? Rocket was ready for a long walk. One of the kids start a ruckus at school? Better make that walk a double. Over the years the whole family bonded with Rocket. On occasion the girls would even dress him up. That poor fella spend the better part of one afternoon dressed as a unicorn!  Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Returning home this weekend, we heard two pronounced whimpers from his crate. Rocket had suffered a massive heart attack. He died within minutes of us returning home. Like it often occurs, his death gave little warning. In ... 10/21/2010

In the not so distant past I was very confident our local market had escaped any type of effect from the housing bubble. That is not the case now. Local foreclosures, bank repos and short sales are increasing. Though it is not occurring at the drastic rate as in other parts of the country... it is here. This is an unfortunate circumstance for local sellers who purchased from approximately 2005 to late 2007 and now have to sell for one reason or another. The majority of owners are taking a loss on the property at Act of Sale. Now there are the lucky few that are inching out from the closing table with a few hundred bucks.  Local readers of my blog do not worry each circumstance is different. Some owners have been affected by pulling out equity, some by the market correction and others b... 10/19/2010

To Cut or Not???? Recently through conversations with a very good friend that is also a Realtor in my office we pondered the epic question. As homeowners would we care-take on a neighborhood foreclosure. The answer for us was an easy.... YES!Then we debated what the average John and Jane Doe neighbor would do...opinions were mixed but the consensus was a hope that at least lawn care would be completed. The bottom line from a real estate stand point is when your neighbors fall on hard times and lose their home it is a very sad day but self preservation of home value must prevail. Take the initiative for your own equity and keep the neighborhood clean. If a HOA is in effect you can pull together for the common good of the area. If not I would suggest calling on area residents to pull for ... 10/13/2010

Introducing The Oldest Par 3 Golf Course in the Nation - BRINGHURST GOLF COURSE You don't see very many Par 3 Golf Courses around the country, however, we have one right here in Central Louisiana! It's boasted as the Oldest Par 3 Golf Course in the Nation! This great 9 hole - Par 3 Golf Course is only 968 yards! It's a great place to spend a couple of hours on the week-end with the family. You only need a few clubs and a pair of comfy shoes. And teach the family how to play Golf! Bringhurst Golf Course just had a major renovation this year so it is ready for you to FORE!!   Bringhurst is located near the Alexandria Zoo on Masonic Drive. Call for additional information 318-448-9021.     09/24/2010

 My handwriting leaves much to be desired. In fact my broker has strongly suggested/forced me to start typing my offers. For some reason people at the title company need to actually read what is written on the paper!  So before meeting with my buyers at their "dream home" I typed the buy/sell agreement less price, deposit, and closing date. After the walk though my client approaches the document on the kitchen table.  Without glancing at the document, he begins initialing each page. WOW there mister 1st time buyer, you just signed a blank contract! He simply looks me in the eye and says "it's okay, I trust you".  There are MANY things wrong in real estate world. The market is tough, the economy uncertain, and let's just say some of our peers are hard to be nice to. But moments like thi... 09/20/2010

The Alexandria T.R.E.E. House is a Childrens Museum that provides a FUN FUN FUN learning experience......... children learn in a hands-on environment! Designed for ages 4-12 years the Museum is suited for families, schools and community groups. Here are some of the events they are offering: Kooky Krafts - Every Saturday at 11am! September 18th - International Talk Like a Pirate Day 2:00pm September 25th - Pen Pals Around the World 2:00pm Junior Engineers  - This is a program that is perfect for train lovers.  Children ages 7 and up meet for 8 consecutive Saturdays to build a model train layout from scratch.  Children are involved in each phase of construction and learn much about design and wiring of model trains!  This is a GREAT place to bring your Kids, they will have loads of fun a... 09/14/2010

 Regardless of how many properties a person buys, that first home will always hold a special place in their heart. Frankly, I have seen more pride of ownership and tears of joy over a 75k starter home than any 300-500k McMansion.  I remember my first home purchase like it was yesterday. In early 2001 the wife and I were done with apartment living. After all, who wants to lug groceries up three flights of stairs? Like most newbies we were clueless as to where to begin.   Thankfully we had a wonderful agent in Jerry Seagle with Re/Max first in Baton Rouge. He took the time to guide us through the process without being pushy. After viewing MANY properties, Jerry found us this gem. We were so excited he agreed to write the contract at 9pm! After an uneventful escrow (thanks again to Jerry)... 09/09/2010

I am very happy that David Beckham has chosen to move his license from KW to Century 21 Millennium! He does have an ActiveRain account, but needs to be more Active.....we are going to help him with that! Give him a warm ActiveRain welcome....PLEASE! I have linked back to his announcement post on his AR....click the link and give him a shout! David has many years of Real Estate experience and is a Top Producing Agent! We are looking forward to showing him everything that our office has to offer! Welcome David! 08/27/2010

I wanted to let everyone know that I have just made a MOVE of my own! CENTURY 21 Millennium - I am proud and excited to let everyone know I am happy to now be an associate with the CENTURY 21 system. I will be working on my new website over the week-end (when I'm not showing properties)! Hopefully by Monday it will be up and running! I appreciate all of my past and current clients and am looking forward to GREAT things with CENTURY 21! Thank you so much for your SUPPORT! 08/27/2010

                         I love children, so much in fact that the wife and I have four. But when it comes time to make a large (pardon the pun) purchase have someone watch the children. I have seen many examples of parents losing focus due to having to herd the little ones. While not always practical, here are a few steps in the home buying process that should be kid free. 1)When meeting with the mortgage person-- The loan process can be very confusing. Even small changes in interest rate can cost you THOUSANDS of dollars over the life of the loan. Learning about "locking in a rate" can be difficult while keeping junior from coloring the office walls. 2) Touring homes-- Especially in the heat, running from home to home can wear the little ones out. Trying to select either the Tudor, Ra... 08/19/2010

The BIG week-end is almost here! Les Fest was started by Zoo volunteers, Friends and Zoo staff who want to keep Les Whitt's dream alive!  You see Les Whitt was the Zoo Director from 1974 until his death in 2008. In his 34 years working at the Zoo he had many dreams that became reality, but, he had some he did not get to complete. Les Fest was put together to raise funds to continue Les' grand vision! It will be lots of fun for all! For a list of events click HERE! There will be daytime and evening activities! Fun, Food, Music, Animals and Good Times all for a GREAT cause! You are never to old to visit the Alexandria Zoo, it's a great place for all! 08/18/2010

                                     Social Media such as Facebook is a great tool for reaching out to your sphere. After all, those 565 "friends" probably need a place to live right? Salespeople, especially agents are well represented on my friend list. Some of them could definitely use a "social media makeover". While not perfect by any means, here are some lessons I picked up along the way. 1) Mix Business With Pleasure---2/3 of my posts deal with personal things (kids, yard work, musings). Doing so allows you to remain friendly with your friends. 2) Steer Clear of Political Issues--Hate George Bush, Obama, McCain? Keep such thoughts off Facebook. The thing to remember about divisive issues is that they can be divisive. Why offend 1/2 your audience?? 3) It's fine to post a new listin... 08/11/2010

If you haven't heard of Taylor Mathews...you soon will!! He is a wonderful and geniune young man (18 yrs old) from Central Louisiana!! Check out this YouTube video and fall in love:   Okay outside of him just being adorable...he can sing and play! I am asking for your VOTE! If you don't normally watch America's Got Talent...watch tonight! Then when it's over please place your vote for Taylor Mathews! Thanks! After 10:00 PM Central Time text the word VOTE to 4807! You can vote 10 times! 08/03/2010

                              Yesterday I showed properties in the afternoon. In Louisiana this time of year that means super muggy and ninety plus degrees. As luck would have it, we were also encountered a nice mid-afternoon thunderstorm. On the way back to the office I wondered why anyone would be out and about in this weather.  Then I thought back to last winter. Freezing temperatures and sleet were the order of the day. Nothing like trying to plant a giant Century 21 sign when you can't feel your fingers!  For me Spring and Fall are the best times to be on the road. Fairly nice weather without the brutal extremes. On the other hand summer does allow me to show homes in the daylight past 8 pm. Last night I met with an investor late and we had plenty of daylight to prep for our next f... 07/28/2010

                                  Continuing my recent stream of good luck, my wife was able to find a stray nail in her front tire this weekend. After a closer look, it appeared to be a prime candidate for a plug. So Sunday afternoon I increased the air pressure and headed to a certain "Mega Store".    After a nice wait I was greeted by a young man that resembled Billy Idol.  Perhaps he thought it was a tricky nail, because he needed to get advice from his manager. Coke Zero in hand, the manager shuffles out of the office. He was the spitting image of a Caucasian Mr. T!    Mr. T and Billy Idol discussed the merits of my repair job. They soon decided that it was too hot to fool with such a small job and sent me on my way. "You will never be able to fix that sucker", and back into the ai... 07/26/2010