My family has a weekend ritual that is unwavering to say the least!  Every Saturday morning like clockwork(early morning clockwork!) my daughter Lily(the cute one in the picture to the left) rouses the rest of the household and pesters all involved until we dutifully take her to the Red Stick Farmers Market.  Once there, we typically scattered with our alloted money and enjoy an hour or so of browsing and buying some of the freshest and unique produce and products directly from local farmers.This past Saturday's selection included turnips,radishes,fresh lettuce(arugula and kale to name a few).sweet potatoes,tomatoes,shallots,mustard and collard greens and much much more.  I bought my usual fresh sunflowers and mums for the kitchen table  and picked up a basil plant from the plant vendor... 11/18/2007

Effective 11/15/07, LHFA has announced that some parishes including East BatonRouge are no longer considered "targeted areas" for the State Bond Program.Effective immediately that means the income limits and sales price limits are LOWER for anyone buying in these parishes.For East Baton Rouge, the following income and price limits now apply:EBR Income Limits:1-2 people: $56,2003 or more people: $64,630EBRP Acquisition/Sales Price Limits:New or Existing, 1 unit $237,031West Baton Rouge, Livingston and Ascension Parishes Income Limits (still considered targeted):1-2 people: $67,4403 or more people: $78,680WBR, Livingston and Ascension Parishes Acquisition/Sales Price Limits (still considered targeted):New or Existing, 1 unit $289,704All of our area is still considered GO-ZONE, therefore ... 11/17/2007

We wanted to thank everyone who came out to see us at the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors Expo on Thursday.  We had alot of fun and met alot of great people!  If anyone would like a followup from the expo please feel free to contact any of the Choice Title Marketing Reps! 11/13/2007

I just had to tell someone about this! I recently moved back to Baton Rouge.  I moved in on a Saturday and waited until the Monday to take care of my Cable/Internet.  I was hoping for good service activating it, but what I got was beyond expectations!!  It took all of 7 minutes on the phone and half an hour later, BAM, internet and cable both on!  Here I am expecting to have to wait for the cable guy to show between yesterday and sometime next week, never knowing when he'll come, but i didn't get that at all.  I feel kinda left out.I was literally shocked!!!  I mean this is a huge company servicing all of Greater Baton Rouge. How could they do that?!?  I can't even order a pizza in that amount of time.  I'm hoping i won't need to move service again soon, but if i do, i'm looking forward... 10/22/2007

I just listed a property in the Village Cote' subdivision in Baton Rouge.  In preparation for my meeting with my client, I analyzed some data to verify current market conditions in the zip code area containing the home.  One of the things I examined was the monthly unit sales for resale homes in this area.To smooth out the cyclic seasonal nature of unit sales, I calculated absorption rates in various price ranges.Although the 2007 absorption rate is at a five year low, the inventory levels are correspondingly low giving us a 4.4 month supply. As the following chart show, there was only minor growth in terms of the selling price per sq.ft. of living area between 2006 and 2007.  Nevertheless, it is at an all time high for the area and has grown by 49% since 2002. © 2007 by Don Stern, All ... 10/20/2007

A theater and medical office space are just two of the new services that a Mississippi company was quoted as saying they are planning to bring to Howell Place in North Baton Rouge, which is just 4 minutes from North Pointe Estates. The company is expected to drop between $60 and $70 million with construction planned to start in February 2009. Click Here For Entire Article . See the map below to see Howell Place location relative to North Pointe Estates. View Larger Map 10/13/2007

Over the summer, Prudential Gardner - Baton Rouge Office, had a contest between two teams to see which team could earn the most points.  Points were received for such things as new listings, signed purchase agreements, closings, etc.  The prize for the winning team was a lunch on Prudential Gardner at Mike Anderson's Seafood in Baton Rouge.  So I, along with the other members of the winning team, ate at Mike Anderson's this past Wednesday.We started off the meal with Fish Chips and Dip.  The fish was thinly filleted catfish coated with a cornmeal crust.  It was perfectly cooked and seasoned and had an excellent texture and flavor.  The dip was a creamy shrimp, spinach, and artichoke blend and was very good.  I decided against seafood for my entrée, as I was in the mood for something els... 10/07/2007

On Sunday, October, 7th, 2007, I will be conducting an open house at 9303 Loblolly Ct, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  This is a gorgeous townhouse in a prime location.  The townhouse is  located on Jefferson Hwy between Bluebonnet and Pine Park.  Details about the home are in the flyer below.Chris HuttoRealtorPrudential Gardner Realtors - Baton Rouge, Louisianahttp://www.chrishuttorealestate.com/chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.com(225)229-2912 - Cell(225)296-0500 - Office(225)296-0410 - FaxSuper Search: The Easiest Way to Find a Property.  A complimentary service for homebuyers and the most efficient way to search.  Register here to receive automatic email alerts on properties that meet your specifications as soon as they come on the market. 10/02/2007

As you listen to the national news it is important to remember that real estate markets are local. Though changing, the Baton Rouge market continues to be strong. Our local economy is growing, interest rates are low, and banks and mortgage brokers have money to lend. We are not in California, Nevada, Florida, New York, Chicago, or DC. And, the likelihood is that we will not see their declines. There are, however, lessons to be learned from their experience."Irrational exuberance."It's one of my favorite Alan Greenspan expressions. For the past two years we have had some of that in Baton Rouge. Prices have gone up and everywhere you look there is new construction. Sellers have been elated and buyers frustrated; in some areas of town you just couldn't buy a home fast enough.After periods ... 09/30/2007

A builder client of mine had been approached with an opportunity to purchase a large number of lots in the 70817 zip code area.  He called me to ask if I'd analyzed sales in this particular area.  I had not yet drilled down through my data to this particular area so I sharpened my pencil (actually my mouse) and proceeded to do so.  Here are some of my findings.Zip 70817 Absorption(All Homes)Price200220032004200520062007Current InventoryMonths Supply$000-100K         5.4          4.8          3.4          2.1          0.8          0.1 1         8.0 $101-150K       19.7        20.6        18.8        18.1          9.4          8.8 11         1.3 $151-200K       13.1        12.4        13.2        21.1        16.1        12.4 43         3.5 $201-250K         4.8          5.7          6.3  ... 09/30/2007

Spread the word about North Pointe Estates.  The premier subdivision coming to North Baton Rouge...Breaking Ground October 2007. 09/29/2007

North Pointe is a master planned community in North Baton Rouge, Lousiana that offers substantially higher value to the community.It embodies a passion for bringing beauty and serenity to approximately 23 acres of land in NorthBaton Rouge. North Pointe is designed to improve the lives of families and sense of community. Theproject is founded on New Heights Developments passion to be integrus, excellent and prepared.Strategic alliances in urban planning, development and marketing have been formed to produce anoutstanding project that will support the local community and enhance quality of life and advance thefamily.The problem with the subdivisions currently available to residents in north Baton Rouge is lack ofstandards and quality resulting in a design with low aesthetic value to the c... 09/29/2007

In July, Amy and I went downtown to see the sites and shoot some photos.  We spent most of our time at the Shaw Center for the Arts, first eating lunch at Capital City Grill, then visiting the LSU Museum of Art.  We then took some photos on the rooftop of the Shaw Center at the Irene W. Pennington Rooftop Terrace and Sculpture Garden.  We then took a break at PJ's Coffee House before walking around the area and taking photos.  We enjoyed our afternoon immensely and I have to say that as a newcomer to Baton Rouge, I am impressed with the revitalization plans for the downtown/riverfront area.  The Shaw Center has only been open since March of 2005, and looks to be just the beginning of some major plans that are in the works for the downtown area.  You can read about the revitalization eff... 09/23/2007

My wife Amy and I went out on a date tonight to Drusilla Seafood Restaurant in Baton Rouge.  After a short wait, we were seated by the hostess, who was very cordial.  Our waitress brought us each a glass of water and a dish of hushpuppies for the table.  I am not a hushpuppy fan, but Amy said they were very good.  After looking over the menu, we decided to order the Stuffed Mushrooms as an appetizer.  Amy and I both agree that these were quite possibly the best stuffed mushrooms that we had ever tasted.  The mushrooms were stuffed with a seafood mixture that included both shrimp and crabmeat.  The flavors mingled perfectly; they were excellent!  For our entrée we ordered one of the house specialties - "On the Bayou 'A Taste of Louisiana'" to share.  This entrée is a sampler that include... 09/21/2007

After lunch at Mi Padres on Sunday, Amy and I drove to LSU where we spent several hours taking photos of whatever caught our fancy.  These were all taken on campus with an Olympus E-20 camera.To protect my photos from theft, I have placed a slightly visible digital watermark on them and a visible copyright stamp in the bottom right corner of each photo, as well as embedding them with an invisible digital watermark.  Thank you for respecting the copyright on these photographs.  If anyone would like to purchase some of my work, feel free to email me at chrishutto@chrishuttorealestate.comIf you happen to be in the Baton Rouge area, you can see more of my work displayed on the walls of the Baton Rouge Office of Prudential Gardner Realtors.  LSU Memorial Tower  Another View of LSU Memorial T... 09/18/2007

For lunch on Sunday, Amy and I ate at Mi Padres Mexican Grill and Cantina on Bluebonnet Blvd. in Baton Rouge with our friends the Elliotts.  The food was very good and the service was friendly.  We were immediately seated, and Amy and I decided to split the medium order of combination fajitas (beef and chicken).  As we were waiting for our entrée, we placed our drink order and dove in to the chips and salsa.  I usually order Dr. Pepper, which they did not have, so I settled for a Coke.  The chips were fresh and the salsa was tasty.  As usual, I added some extra salt to the salsa (which Amy says is sure to send me to an early grave).  In addition to the typical salsa, some bean dip was also brought out with the chips.  The bean dip was average and also needed salt in my opinion.  After a... 09/17/2007

As Realtors we sell many homes with swimming pools, many of us have swimming pools ourselves. Though many people take safety for granted and disregard the rules that have been embedded in us since we ourselves were children.Safety is of the utmost importance around swimming pools, personally I've seen grown men get hurt terribly during dives and shows when they thought they were being safe.  Safety is never to be taken for granted, we ALL must think about saftey first, especially when children are around.  Here are  few safety rules we should follow: Never run around a pool Never jump in the water behind someone else without making sure that the area is clear Never have glass around the pool, always use plastic Do not push people into the pool Never dive in the shallow end Adequate pool... 09/02/2007

Cheap Gas Spots 09/02/2007

                                                                                                           Southern Business & Development, which annualy "scores" southern states and cites in different categories, has awarded Louisiana the coveted "state of the year" title for the year 2007!  SB&D declared Baton Rouge as the region's top mid-sized market. The magazine says the Capital Region got the nod because of the many exciting and diverse business opportunities that are opening in the area. Some of the companies they cited were Celtic Media and Formosa Plastics projects, along with the bio-diesel and ethanol projects in Port Allen.  SB&Dbase their rankings on a point system based on the number of corporate and industrial job and investment announcements the states and regions have ... 08/01/2007

 Coming soon to the L.S.U. area is Cambrige Place Condominiums.  This exciting condo conversion project is located on the L.S.U. Bus Route in the popular "Tigerland" area.  Cambridge Place will offer lush landscaping and green spaces in a secure and gated complex.Parents:  These condos are eligible for Louisiana State Bond Money!!  What this means to you is; you can buy a condo for your student for less than apartment rent and you may be eligible for the 4% assistance money!  Income limitations do apply but they are much more generous than in the past.  For more information on the condos or details on qualifying please contact Shannon Sims, The Exclusive Buyer's Agent in Baton Rouge at (225)767-1999 or (888)986-1999 or email me at shannon@judyburkett.com. The newly renovated condos are ... 07/27/2007