The bright moon reminds me of just how great creation is and that God is closeby. Be Still for a moment and click on the Supermoon link to watch the moon  rise in motion  over Lake Charles 05/06/2012

622 Sycamore New Construction in Lake Charles Schedule a Showing What is your home worth? Lake Charles Real Estate Homes Close to Where You Work See Property Details 337-499-9592 Cell 337-478-1578 Office Visit Property Website Courtesy: Marilyn Boudreaux Email Me Now 337-478-1578 Licensed In: LA 622 Sycamore, Lake Charles, LA Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 full List Price: $96,500 Living Area Approx: 1151   New Construction home is move in ready! This vinyl sided home sits on a shaded corner lot in a Lake Charles neighborhood with sidewalks! Floors are stained polished concrete for easy care, Closets have built in storage and organizer features. Kitchen bar and counters are ceramic tile. Floorplan also has a breakfast area. Under $100,000 this home is waiting for a buyer! The energy bills ar... 05/04/2012

  On May 2nd at 10:00 AM:  "Just for Jesus" in Lake Charles, LA presents Christian music artist BIG DADDY WEAVE Also appearing will be Special Guest Speaker, KIRK FRANKLIN  -  Events will be held from 10-Noon in the Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum  in Lake Charles, LA. This is a FREE Youth Concert in Celebration of the National Day of Prayer and an excused school absence.   Thursday May 3, 2012 is Contraband Days Family Day  and the  National Day of Prayer (Alcohol-Free Evening ) Contraband Days Schedule 04:00 PM:  Contraband Festival Gates Open for Family Day  *  Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Galley Alley Food Booths Galley Alley Dining Area - Sponsor:  Lloyd Lauw Collision Center Pirate Marketplace *  Emerson Pony Rides   Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum: 06:00 PM:  WATERS EDGE B... 05/01/2012

CONTRABAND DAYS BEGINS MAY 1-13, 2012 Ahoy mates, It's that time of year again for Contraband Days when the City of Lake Charles is overtaken by Pirates! Of Course the Contraband Pirate Royalty Reigns and can be seen near the Buccaneers Compound. Unique to Lake Charles, this year will be the 55th year of the festival which celebrates the legend of pirate Jean Lafitte. The story goes that pirate Jean Lafitte docked his boat right on the sandy shore of Lake Charles and buried his treasure somewhere along its banks.  For two weeks the Buccaneer Pirates set up their compound at the Lake Charles seawall. You will spot boats filled in the Marina and along the seawall near the Boardwalk all throughout Contraband Days! Along with modern boats, the Nina and the Pinta Columbus ships will also be ... 04/30/2012

Tuten Park,  is a 24 acre Woodland Park located at 3715 Nelson Road in Lake Charles. The Park is a sanctuary for birds and host to native flowers and trees. The Master Plan includes nature trails, picnic areas, exhibits, wetland ponds, preserved forest, children's playground, lookout tower, and other unique urban features. In 2005, Tuten Park was torn apart by Hurricane Rita with about 80% of its trees destroyed.   ( Be sure to view the renovation slide show below  to see the park transform)  Since 2005 the park has been unusable and the City of Lake Charles has been working on the Park Renovation. The primary purpose of the park is to feature an outdoor experience with native habitat, plants and the pine wood forest. Park designers included a security system to protect the park from m... 04/29/2012

I'm not sure how long this "cloud 9" feeling is going to last relative to Palm Sunday Weekend, especially the Palm Sunday Tour of Homes, but I am not complaining! The kudos, appreciation, and positive comments for the effort put forth by the Joint Committee and the residents of Margaret Place continue over a month later!   At last nights monthy meeting of the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society (CHPS), it was reported by Trolley docent and well known preservationist, Adley Cormier, that a group traveling from Houston for the 37th Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes in Margaret Place gave the effort a major thumbs up stating that the day was "magical."  While not the first time the "magic" word was used when describing the antique car lined streets that were blocked from traffic for t... 04/27/2012

  Spring and Summer are typically the busiest time of the real estate sales in Southwest Louisiana.  With a high inventory of homes for sale in Calcasieu Parish, Buyer's have many choices.  What can Sellers do to make their Lake Charles Homes stand out in the real estate market? Create Curb Appeal with these 7 Seller Home Tips 1. Paint the mailbox — Homes with curbside mailboxes can add some pizzazz by painting the post and wrapping the mailbox.    Add a neutral color to the post or one that matches the exterior of your home. Mailbox wraps can be changed seasonally and include a festive look such as an American flag,  or holiday motif. 2. Paint window frames  — Windows can be updated  with a fresh coat of paint or stain that will give a pop of color to the curb appeal of the home. 3. Ch... 04/26/2012

  Sellers sometimes have some confusion over what exactly adds value to a home.  Value is in the eye of the beholder...value when it comes to the real estate market is determined by how much a Buyer is willing to pay.  In other words Buyers may view value differently than a Seller.  Before a home seller decides to do a major remodel, think it through and choose a sensible option. Adding value to the price of your home will help it stand out in the market and make it more appealing to prospective buyers Homeowners frequently ask me what remodels or improvements will add value to their home and are surprised at what Appraisers give value and don't give value.    Fox News recently addressed this with this article of Sensible Remodeling. From a minor do it yourself project to massive overha... 04/25/2012

TOP LAKE CHARLES LA  AGENT MARILYN BOUDREAUX   AND CENTURY 21 LOUISIANA AWARDS   Many times I am asked to share my story of how I began in real estate and the success that I have been blessed with selling real estate in Lake Charles, LA.  There is no secret to success however I believe that success will leave clues.  Having a mentor to follow and continuing to learn new things will set you apart will differentiate you from the rest of the pack.    Last week Century 21 Mike D Bono & Co.'s in Lake Charles hosted the Century 21 Southwest LA Regional Awards Banquet in Lake Charles.  I am fortunate to be affiliated with the #1 Selling Agency In Louisiana for three consecutive years!  I was surprised and honored to be awarded the #2 Top Agent Award within Century 21 Mike D Bono & Co.'s in bot... 04/24/2012

Downtown at Sundown in Lake Charles will rise again, but in a new location to accommodate the  current Ryan Street streetscape progress. This year music will be provided by Boomerang, Chris Ardoin and NuStep, Soul Vacation and City Heat providing the entertainment. The Downtown at Sundown concert series events will be 6-9 p.m. Fridays from May 18 to June 8 in Lake Charles in the 600 block of Ryan Street between Division and Mill Streets.  There will be food, beverage booths, and art gallery exhibits. Beverage sales will be facilitated by Benefiting Area At-risk Kids of Southwest Louisiana, an organization founded in 2009 to raise money for abused and vulnerable children.  Proceeds will benefit Harbour House ETC, an emergency shelter for children. Since opening its doors in 1985, Harbou... 04/19/2012

  As a Seller, during the time your Lake Charles home has been for sale, you have kept it picture perfect to attract a Home Buyer. Once your  Lake Charles home  is "under contract" it doesn't mean you can stop paying attention to details and neglect your home . The Louisiana Agreement to Buy and Sell states that the Seller must maintain the home in same or better condition as it was at the time of contract.  What this means is just because your house is under contract doesn't mean you can let things go like housekeeping, landscaping or maintenance! Remember the Buyer will also be scheduling a home inspection and the Lender will be ordering an Appraisal!  What if that Home Buyer shows up for the inspection and sees a mess?  If they see dirty bathrooms, dishes piled in the sink, laundry o... 04/18/2012

Summer is upon us and with the return of warm temperatures comes boating activities and outdoor waterfront entertaining!  Many buyers are eager to find Lake Charles LA homes with boat slips with access to water  inquire about waterfront homes for sale in Lake Charles.   LOOKING FOR A ROOM WITH A VIEW? A current search for waterfront properties in the areas of South Lake Charles and Big Lake in zip codes 70605-70607 shows 10 residential homes on the market for sale ranging in price from $-139,000 $990,000.  Some of these Lake Charles listings are on Contraband Bayou and some of these Lake Charles homes for sale have a view of water. In addition to being waterfront, 4 of the 10 current homes for sale have in ground pools. Looking for a home with a pool or water access?   It is easy to ch... 04/16/2012

When out showing homes I am amazed at the condition of some garages.  Garages tend to  get crowded with junk, with little to no room for cars. Somehow, we’ve turned a garage’s original purpose of temporary car storage into permanent junk storage, storing all kinds of stuff inside, including things  we don't use anymore or no longer need!   Here are a few ideas to help  free your garage of junk and win the clutter battle.   Pick and Choose   Start going through everything that is in your garage, putting everything into one of three categories: 1.  stuff you must keep, 2.  things you can throw out and 3.  items you can sell.  Purchase plastic tubs to store the things you want  to keep and plan on disposing of everything else.   Garage Sale   Everything that you plan to sell should be res... 04/16/2012

The Second Annual Joining Hands for Autism Walk/Run was held earlier this morning in Lake Charles  LA under sunny clear blue skies.  It was a beautiful day to walk or run through Margaret Place and along Shell Beach Drivein Lake Charles, LA 122 runners crossed the finish line of the 5K Run  then the  walkers headed out along the same course!  Over 700 people participated in the event.  Colorful T-shirts and teams were sported by participants at the starting point which began and ended at Immaculate Conception Cathedral School where later an awards ceremony was held. I walked with Team Karson sponsored by  local Lake Charles Attorneys at Law, Lundy, Lundy, Soileau & South LLP.   Pictured below is the head of  the team Mr. Karson  himself walking alongside his Mom!  Karson not only walked... 04/14/2012

What happens when a Seller who has their home listed has a defect arise with the home? In Louisiana Sellers are required to fill out Disclosures answering questions in categories such as plumbing, electrical structure, etc.  Prior to making an offer on a property the Buyer's Agent will have the Buyer review the disclosures and initial acknowledging they have reviewed the Disclosures. If anything changes with the condition of the home during the time of the listing, the Seller should "amend" the original Disclosures with an update. Any defect is sure to be discovered in a Buyer's inspection and they are going to question why the defect was not disclosed by the Seller. One of my Sellers just contacted me this week notifying me of a problem with their home.  The Sellers discovered their 40... 04/12/2012

CONTINGENCIES IN REAL ESTATE   Contingencies either work or they don't.  If you are a Buyer's agent, representing a Buyer, please don't call the Listing agent and ask "Do you think they will accept a Contingency?" The first thing covered in Real Estate School is Ethics.  As a matter of fact, every few years Realtors are required to repeat  Ethics!!  All Realtors should know that we can never speak for a Buyer or Seller unless we have specific instruction to do so.   As a Listing Agent, I cannot answer if my Seller will take $xxx,xxxx for his house or even a hint at what I think the Seller would accept.  I have to present every offer to the Seller!   That is all covered in Real Estate 101.   Please don't ask the Listing Agent if the Seller will consider a Contingency!  Let the Listing Ag... 04/09/2012

Whenever "BUT" is mentioned  when referred to a home purchase  there is usually going to be a consequence.     Realtor's get excited to hear a buyer say:  I'm ready to purchase" or " we want to make an offer on this home"  However when those phrases are followed by the word BUT  the Realtor tends to Slooooow down.   Buyers can have several reasons not to move forward:   Relocation Legal issues Financing Need to Sell another Property   3 of these points mentioned:  relocation, financing and selling another property can be rolled into one big BUT....   Many times a Buyer is being transferred and may have a Relocation Package with their company.  All Relocation is not created equally.    In my real estate market here in Southwest Louisiana, we have a strong influence of petrochemical compa... 04/08/2012

Foreclosed properties never have the utilities turned on.  When a home buyer enters into contract with a "bank owned property"  just about everything is going to be the Buyer's responsibility.  The bank conveys foreclosed properties "as is" what you see is what you get!   At the time a Buyer makes an offer written on the Louisiana Agreement to Purchase and Sell, other than viewing the property with the naked eye, it is difficult to really know the condition of the property.  The foreclosed home could have been vacant for months and at the time the bank contacts a Realtor to list the property, the foreclosed home as been "winterized" by an Asset Management Company.  That means the toilets and faucets will be taped with those bright orange notices.  If a Buyer is purchasing a Foreclosure... 04/07/2012

Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and Heroism   April 19, 2012   A Yom Hashoah Observance - Remembering the Holocaust - will take place in two locations in Lake Charles on April 19. At the Central School Arts & Humanities Center, 809 Kirby St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.   The full name of the day is Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah - Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and Heroism. The overall theme that runs through all observances is the importance of remembering - recalling the victims of the Holocaust and insuring that such tragedies never occur again. Everyone is encouraged to attend and REMEMBER!     I have a personal interest in participating in special remembrance services and events such as  this when I can.  As a history major at the Universtiy of Arkansas  I did my thesis on Holocaust... 04/03/2012

  Lake Charles, LA  has many beautiful Historical Homes some of which can be found in Margaret Place and the downtown Lake Charles Charpentier District.  Let's take a step back into time and visit Margaret Place celebrating 100 years with the Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes!       Margaret Place streets are broken down  by Streets on the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society website.  Within the boundaries of Margaret Place in Lake Charles you will find 66 single family homes, 3 historical apartment buildings and one parochial school, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School.   Nine Margaret Place homes were featured during the 37th Annual Tour of Homes held Palm Sunday in Lake Charles, LA.  The streets within Margaret Place were full of activity with resident homeowners in golf cart... 04/02/2012