$20 Million Gentilly Homeowners Initiative http://www.libertybank.net/personal/loans/ghi.cfm The $20 million Gentilly Homeowners Initiative (GHI) is a Liberty Bank program that can provide financing to existing and potential homeowners for the rehabilitation and/or purchase of homes in the Gentilly area of New Orleans (bounded by Gentilly Avenue, Bayou St. John, Leon C. Simon Drive and the Industrial Canal). Through the Gentilly Homeowners Initiative, Liberty will provide assistance to homeowners in estimating cost of completion, identifying contractors, and financing options to rebuild their homes and their neighborhoods. All contractors who work on GHI financed properties will be Liberty qualified in terms of the quality of their work, professionalism, affordability of pricing (rehabi... 05/12/2010

A site by Nancy Brister dedicated to old New Orleans through gorgeous photography and intriguing documents. If this doesn't bring out the romance of the city I don't know what does. I could spend hours on this site! I first became aware of the site when Nancy approached me about using my photo of the old US Mint on an upcoming page. http://www.thepastwhispers.com/Old_New_Orleans.html\   Check it out if you love New Orleans, then let Nancy know what you think!   05/07/2010

Spring Flowers and Cold is gone in New Orleans! Spring is Here!         Stay in New Orleans for a couple of days and the weather will change.  The best times of the year in my opinion for great weather is March, April and May.  You can enjoy the hot sweaty summers but that is not our best.  October, November, and December are also nice since the heat is gone.  The rainy could be at anytime of the year.  We had 25 inches in December of 2009. 05/03/2010

Showcasing the arts and culture for over 90 years, the New Orleans Museum of Art sits on the edge of City Park. The long, long entry drive provides an impressive view of the building and allows you to soak in the beautiful surrounding ponds, walking trails and massive oak trees as you approach the museum itself. I recently had a chance to stop and snap a few photos of the area and thought I would share them with you: About NOMA: The New Orleans Museum of Art, the city's oldest fine arts institution, has a magnificent permanent collection of more than 40,000 objects, valued in excess of $200 million. The collection, noted for its extraordinary strengths in French and American art, photography, glass, African and Japanese works, continues to grow. The five-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff S... 05/03/2010

 Recently relocated from New York one thing in particular is giving me pause in my daily life in New Orleans. On the East Coast and in New York we have laws that prohibit talking on your cell phone while driving.  Mostly we are allowed to use a hands free device but rarely do you see someone just gabbing away and driving.  In New Orleans there is no law about talking on your cell phone and driving and everyone does it.  Aside from being distracting to the driver it is annoying to everyone around them or at least to me.  People talking on their cell and driving are just not paying as much attention as they should be. Hopefully this will change soon. 05/02/2010

I recently was asked about how the real estate market is doing in Algiers Point, specifically for doubles and other multi-family properties.  Well, I’m sorry to say, that it’s not good news for sellers in the community – too much competition and too few sales.   Multi-Family Property in Algiers Point (including doubles) While the trend line may indicate increasing values, there have been only 3 multi-family properties sold in the Point in the last 6 months and none as of 3/31/2010.  With 23 active listings at this time, there is a lot for the buyers to choose from, making them more likely to walk away from a deal if they don’t feel like they are getting a “bargain”.   Sales of Doubles in Algiers Point Prices of doubles in the Point have followed the same trend line over the past few yea... 04/28/2010

It's that time of the year again in New Orleans - The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or as we affectionately call it: Jazz Fest!   As with every year, the music line up is stellar and the food is amazing. Mark you calendars every year, last weekend of April and first weekend of May.   Some of the indigenous delicacies found at Jazz Fest every year. And here's a hint: anything with alligator is excellent!!   The musical headliners this year include such diverse performers as Simon & Garfunkel, Pearl Jam, Aretha Franklin, The Allman Brothers, and Anita Baker. Hidden gems like this acoustic set from Shawn Colvin, Sunday April 25, 2010, are the real treasures of Jazz Fest!     04/27/2010

The RE/MAX N.O. Properties Office is located on Maple Street in the Uptown area of New Orleans. There are about 5 blocks with restaurants, a Starbucks, a clothing boutique and a Merle Norman Cosmetics franchise.  I had the opportunity today to take a walk and check things out on Maple Street.  I saw what looked like a really good French Bakery and decided to go in.  I found a very happy couple who offered everyone a free taste, a mini key lime tart was my introduction to their bakery, they insisted. They also had Cannoli - you know the kind that you get in Brooklyn, New York.  The women in front of me on line lives in New Jersey and was visiting her Mom and the women behind the counter who is one of the owners used to live in Rye/Mamaroneck, which is about 20 minutes from where I lived... 04/26/2010

Current real estate activity in English Turn: 26 homes are for sale High list price $1,799,000 Low list price $400,000 Average list price $734,962 Median list price $654,000 6 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $394,900 to $1,699,000 Based on the number of March sales (4), there is a 6.5 month supply of homes for sale in English Turn English Turn | Number of Homes Sold | March 2010 As of the end of the first quarter of 2010, there have been 7 homes sold in English Turn, the same number as sold in the first quarter of 2009.  With 6 homes currently pending sale, English Turn has the potential to surpass sales for the last 2 years if they all successfully close. Days on market is continuing to trend upward as some of the older inventory is sold.  The average days on mark... 04/25/2010

If you are in the market to buy a home, you can’t throw a stick without hitting a REALTOR who is waving a sign and screaming about the end of the world first time home buyer’s tax credit on April 30th.  Overlooked in their zeal to rope in as many buyers as possible is the fact that there are exceptions to the rules and it’s a big one for members of the US military.     With a steady stream of service members relocating to and from NAS JRB New Orleans and NSA New Orleans, it’s important for you to know that military home buyers with a period of duty outside the United States can still qualify for the tax credit provided you meet the following criteria: From Federal Housing Tax Credit site: Extension of Tax Credit Deadlines The home buyer tax credit is available for qualified purchases wi... 04/24/2010

Current real estate activity in Algiers Point: 21 single family homes are for sale in the Point High list price $389,000 Low list price $187,000 Average list price $276,910 Median list price $275,000 6 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $113,400 to $287,900 Based on the number of homes sold in March (6), there is a 3.5 month supply of homes for sale in Algiers Point Algiers Point | Number of Single Family Homes Sold | March 2010 Algiers Point ended the first quarter with a total of 11 single family home sales, compared to 3 at the same time last year.  Already in 2010, the Point has sold more than 50% of the total sales recorded in 2009 – great news for sellers who watched sales dip dramatically last year.  Since the Point is not the typical first time home buyer mark... 04/23/2010

Current real estate activity in Algiers, 70131 (excluding English Turn): 195 single family homes are for sale High list price $895,000 Low list price $22,500 Average list price $174,729 Median list price $154,900 37 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $26,600 to $367,500 Based on the number of sales in March (18), there is a 10.8 month supply of homes for sale in Algiers Algiers 70131 | Number of Single Family Homes Sold | March 2010 As of the end of the first quarter of 2010, there have been 42 single family homes sold in Algiers 70131 (excluding English Turn) compared to 38 during the first quarter of 2009. Foreclosures and bank owned properties have definitely had an impact on sales in Algiers, with 15 of these homes sold as of March 2010. The year to date days on m... 04/23/2010

One of the most beloved parts of City Park here in New Orleans is the Botanical Gardens. They've been doing wonderous work these past years coming back from Katrina. We paid them a visit in early April and was completely captivated. The gardens are yet another reason City Park is one New Orleans' greatest treasures. We can't wait to return, as the blossoms should be in full force right about now. 04/22/2010

Jazz Fest 2010 Schedule for Saturday April 24, 2010. Great weekend line up. 04/22/2010

Current real estate activity in Algiers, 70114 (including Algiers Point): 106 single family homes are for sale High list price $389,000 Low list price $29,000 Average list price $137,762 Median list price $112,500 23 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $10,000 to $287,900 Based on the number of homes sold in March (12), there is a 8.8 month supply of homes for sale in the area Algiers LA 70114 | Number of Single Family Homes Sold | March 2010 Home sales in the 70114 zip code of Algiers took a jump in March, bringing the year to date total number of single family homes sold to 25 (compared to 14 during the first quarter of 2009).  This portion of Algiers is really a tale of two different markets – the foreclosure market and the rest of the sales – and foreclosure sales ... 04/22/2010

Have you looked at the real estate section of the newspaper lately? It’s pretty small these days as fewer and fewer New Orleans REALTORS are willing to plunk down hundreds of dollars for ads that very few people are reading. Smart agents are focusing their efforts on where the buyers are, and the statistics show that almost 90% of them are searching for homes online. Before they ever call an agent, before they ever make an appointment, they are using their friend Google to help them cull through the mediocre and find the jewels of the market.   Can’t see the video above? Click here. Are you considering selling your New Orleans West Bank home? Let us show you how we use technology to put our listings at the forefront of all of the major search engines.   For more information about home b... 04/21/2010

I went on down to the Audubon Zoo… People who live in New Orleans know that the next line is “and they all ask’d for you” (If you don’t know this local tune, listen to the Meters perform it here.) If you are new to the city or are in the process of relocating, you might not know that New Orleans boasts one of the finest zoos in the U.S. That hasn’t always been the case, because I remember how sad and smelly it was when I was growing up. For years, attendance was low as locals rejected the zoo as sub-par. My, how things have changed. Now, the Audubon Zoo is one of the most popular family destinations in the city and the beautiful spring weather we have been enjoying drew us down for a visit this weekend. Vibrant and colorful, with the animals in their natural habitats, the zoo is a magne... 04/12/2010

Sun, Apr 11   Times Location Stage Event   10:30 ‑ 11:00 French Market French Market Traditional Jazz Stage Dance lesson or Norma Miller booksigning     11:00 ‑ 01:00 Bourbon Street Traditional Jazz Showcase 600 Block Kid Simmons New Orleans Jazz Band     11:00 ‑ 11:45 Children's Riverfront Stage and Activities Tulane Hospital for Children Stage Johnette Downing     11:00 ‑ 12:00 Woldenburg Park Abita Beer Stage Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz presented by Northrop Grumman     11:00 ‑ 12:00 Royal Street 400 Block - Community Coffee Stage Heritage School of Music     11:00 ‑ 12:15 Jackson Square State of Louisiana Stage with WWL-TV Panorama Jazz Band     11:00 ‑ 12:15 Woldenburg Park Capital One Bank Riverside Legacy Stage The U.S. Army Blues Swamp Romp     11:00 ‑ 12:15 St. Peter Stre... 04/09/2010

Sat, Apr 10   Times Location Stage Event   10:30 ‑ 11:00 French Market French Market Traditional Jazz Stage Second Line Dance Lessons presented by DancingMan504.com     11:00 ‑ 11:45 Children's Riverfront Stage and Activities New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park Kids Stage Ayla Miller     11:00 ‑ 11:45 Royal Street 500 Block - BMI Songwriter Stage at The Historic New Orleans Collection Amy Trail presented by Agent 99 Talent     11:00 ‑ 12:00 Woldenburg Park Abita Beer Stage Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds presented Hep Cat Enterprise presents     11:00 ‑ 12:15 Jackson Square State of Louisiana Stage with WWL-TV Tim Laughlin     11:00 ‑ 12:15 Woldenburg Park Capital One Bank Riverside Legacy Stage The Orleans Brass Band     11:00 ‑ 12:15 Royal Street 400 Block - Community Coffee Stage... 04/09/2010

A couple of years ago, I listed a house for my neighbors. Nice, nice people who had lived in Algiers for decades, raising a family, including their daughters who were friends with my husband growing up. A lot of history was involved in their choice of me as their agent. After it had been on the market for awhile, a friend of mine decided to take a look and ultimately choose to put an offer in on the house that ended up being accepted. That’s when things got a little uncomfortable. Not for the seller or the buyer, but for me as a dual agent. You see, in Louisiana, it’s perfectly legal for one agent to represent both the buyer and the seller in the same home sale. As long as it is disclosed and agreed to in writing by both the buyer and the seller, and the list above is adhered to, there ... 04/05/2010