Tip of the Day - Green your New Orleans Home! Here are 8 ways to save water without spending any $! 1. Turn the water off while brushing your teeth. 2. Fill a milk jug with stones and place it in your toilet tank to displace water. 3. Dig up an egg timer from your kitchen and use it to cut showers down to 5 minutes. Keep Reading: New Orleans Real Estate   These tips came directly from The Green Guide. You may also be interested in: New Orleans Real Estate - The Definitive Blog __________________________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate tip of the day was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@remax.net or by phone at 504.451.8960. Darryl's real estate office is conveniently located i... 09/25/2008

Active Rain and the Press   The local business newspaper called today. They wanted information on a listing in the Mid City New Orleans area. The reporter asks various questions and I gave my answers. Our listing on North Jeff Davis is under contract hopefully it will close by month's end. Hurricane Gustav delays this closing by about 14 days. I ask the reporter how she found me and she stated she read a post Active Rain about a listing I have on N. Jeff Davis Pkwy. Here is another reason to blog. Become the go to guy in your area, always keep in mind you never know who will read your post or where it could take you. If you have a similar story or experience please comment about it. 09/23/2008

Jane and I have tossing around several ideas for weeks now on what we wish our Web sites could do and what we wish could be handled electronically. Now we're moving forward with making that happen. We have been subscribing to a couple "off-the-shelf" packages designed for Realtors, but they were too general most of the time for our clients and our New Orleans real estate market. Neither of us are the most tech saavy people on the planet, but I know enough just to be dangerous and Jane is always willing to learn. So now we're reinvesting into a more persnalized Web solution designed form the ground up. It's not cheap, but it's also not cheap to spend all those monthly fees with very few results. And we also feel like we waste prescious time when we need a change made, and someone at a re... 09/20/2008

New Orleans-City Park, the Sculpture Garden. When is the last time you have gone?        Being in real estate you are your own boss.  You work a lot of hours but you have control of what you do.  I took the time to stop by City Park this week after visiting a client.  You forget how pretty and how many things there are to do.  One of the things is the Sculpture Garden which is open daily.  The Besthoff's owned the leading retail drug chain in New Orleans for years, K&B Drugs.      The admission is free but it worth leaving a donation so others can enjoy it as well.  Its open daily and takes up only 5 acres with paths and lagoons spread about the park.  Its very quiet and a short drive from downtown.  Take the street car from Canal Street to Carrolton and you get off at the end of the li... 09/19/2008

The destination for hundreds of species of migrating birds each year, Woodlands Trail encompasses 609 acres of land in Algiers and is part of the America's Wetland Birding Trail.  Some fantastic volunteers spent this past weekend helping clear trails, installing signs and putting up wood duck nesting boxes.  But the work is not complete.  The call is out for more volunteers and for donations to assist with continuing the clean up and improvement efforts on National Public Lands Day (September 27th) from 9 am to 1 pm.  Donations of the following items are needed: Auger 100 one gallon plastic pots for repotting seedlings Potting soil Limestone Brush mower A volunteer that can do small carpentry tasks Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes and bring their own work gloves.  Lunch for those... 09/18/2008

Tip of the Day - New FHA Rules - New Orleans Real Estate Starting very soon, FHA is changing a number of rules.  One of the rule changes is they are now requiring 3.5% down instead of 3%.  This means that home buyers will need to put down .5% more in order to secure an FHA loan.  The FHA changes are fairly lengthy so look for a more complete post to come soon. You may also be interested in: New Orleans Real Estate - The Definitive Blog __________________________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate tip of the day was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@remax.net or by phone at 504.451.8960. Darryl's real estate office is conveniently located in Uptown New Orleans at 8001 Maple Street.... 09/18/2008

Here we are, mid way through September and well on our way to the end of 2008.  There has been a lot of turmoil in the last few weeks, what with evacuations for Hurricane Gustav, coastal flooding with Ike and recent not-so-good economic news.  Hopefully, life is getting back to normal for everyone and we make it through the end of the year with no more major disruptions! How is the real estate market in your West Bank neighborhood?  Take a look at the August sales reports and find out. Algiers Algiers LA 70114- August 2008 Home Sales and Real Estate Market Report Algiers LA 70131- August 2008 Home and Real Estate Sales Algiers Point- August 2008 Home Sales and Real Estate Market Reports English Turn- August 2008 Home Sales and Real Estate Market Reports     Gretna and Terrytown Terrytow... 09/17/2008

Tip of the Day - "Green" Tip for Homeowners Consider investing in a progammable thermastat for your home.  You can program your system to make it cooler during the winter and warmer during the summer when you leave your home for the day.  Not only will it help the environment, but it will reduce your energy bills!  Changing the thermostat only one degree from what you normally set it on can save tons of $ on your energy bill! You may also be interested in: New Orleans Real Estate - The Definitive Blog __________________________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate tip of the day was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@remax.net or by phone at 504.451.8960. Darryl's real estate office ... 09/17/2008

New Orleans-Borders Bookstore Opens Fall of 2008. St. Charles and Louisiana Ave.     Borders Bookstore on St. Charles Ave will open this Fall in the Crescent City.  It is located on St. Charles Ave. at the corner of Louisiana Ave on the St. Charles Ave Streetcar line.  The bookstore will showcase Louisiana and New Orleans Books, Authors and Music.  The bookstore is notable for several reasons.  It is built on the site of the Baltman Funeral Home which has been at the location since 1943.  The exterior of the building is being preserved as you can see below.  The nine million dollar project will be 24,000 sq. ft  and will be the first chain store on St. Charles Ave.     The Borders Concept store is within walking distance of many of the condos that I have been selling in the Uptown area ... 09/15/2008

Tip of the Day- Hurricane Prep I know everyone has already heard it, but have you actually sat down and created a hurricane plan? Here is New Orleans having a plan is very important. How are you going to secure your real estate investments? How are you going to move your family out of town if necessary? How are you going to protect your New Orleans business interests?  These are all things that should be deciding on PRIOR to a hurricane entering the Gulf of Mexico.  We have a lot of activity going on right now so please make sure that you are prepared. You may also be interested in: New Orleans Real Estate - The Definitive Blog __________________________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate tip of the day was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with... 09/15/2008

New Orleans Real Estate (Condos) Market Report August 2008 This report focuses on Condos in New Orleans. August 2008 - 803 condos for sale in New Orleans. August 2007 - 903 condos for sale in New Orleans. 42 condos sold in New Orleans in August 2008. 54 condos sold in New Orleans in August 2007 .   Keep Reading: New Orleans Real Estate Condo Market Report August 2008   You may also be interested in: New Orleans Real Estate - The Definitive Blog ______________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate condo market report was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@remax.net or by phone at 504.451.8960. Darryl's office is conveniently located in Uptown New Orleans at 8001 Maple Street. Darryl wo... 09/15/2008

New Orleans Real Estate Market Report August 2008 This report focuses on Single Family Homes. August 2008 - 1970 properties for sale in New Orleans. August 2007 - 2339 properties for sale in New Orleans. 166 properties sold in New Orleans in August 2008. 307 properties sold in New Orleans in August 2007 .   Keep Reading: New Orleans Real Estate Market Report August 2008     ______________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate market report was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@remax.net or by phone at 504.451.8960. Darryl's office is conveniently located in Uptown New Orleans at 8001 Maple Street. Darryl works throughout the Greater New Orleans area including Uptown, Lakeview, Broadm... 09/15/2008

New Orleans Condo-Buyers Delight! Rates drop and sellers are more modivated!      The interest rates have dropped since the take over of Freddie Mac and Fannie May.  The takeover and the slowing economy are bringing rates down.  What does this mean for you and your note.  If the rates drop .5% you are looking at saving $33 per 100k on what you borrow.  If you were looking at borrowing 200k you can save about $75 on your note in the past week alone.  This is $900 per year in interest savings.  Its like a $12,000 reduction in the price of the home or condo in terms of your note.  I have have no idea as to how long these rates will hold.  Good time to think about it however.      At the same time sellers who have had their condos or homes listed over the summer are getting ready to take a ... 09/10/2008

OK, so I haven't really laid out #1 through #263 for you.  We're skipping ahead today, to one of the most important reasons you should make sure that the REALTOR® you hire to market and sell your home is a local one - especially if you have already moved to another city or state. Now that this week's threat of hurricanes has passed, I spent part of today checking in on all of my vacant listings and putting the signs back up.  At each house, I took a quick walk through, making sure that I didn't see any signs of damage that weren't visible from the street. It's a good thing that this seller didn't hire an agent from another part of town that may not have wanted to drive over and check out the property... YIKES! - a leak in the screened patio roof is causing a mold/mildew substance to gro... 09/09/2008

New Orleans French Quarter Market Update! Are Condos Sellings?      French Quarter Condos have been selling at a moderate pace the past 3 months. There are 125 New Orleans French Quarter condos currently for sale in the local MLS.  Since June 1,  2008 there have been 36 sales of condos.  Looking at the sales per month does not tell us much, so going back 3 months gives us a better idea of past sales.  There are 20 units listed above 500k and 27 condos listed below 200k.  You can see the bulk of the market is between 200-500k.  The moderate pace far exceeds the sales in the same period a year ago.  The trend looks good and could become better.      There was a new project at 1025 Bienville which had 8 units priced between 350k-700k.  All the units are currently under contract.  The condo... 09/08/2008

Here's a link to a recent article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on the state of our market. In several markets we've been seeing a decrease in the number of new listings from previous months, while buyer demand has remind steady and even increased a bit. Now if we can just work some of our voodoo to keep Ike away!  http://blog.nola.com/realestate/2008/08/local_lenders_see_a_buyers_mar.html#more 09/08/2008

God knows we need not another storm like Katrina. The town was empty today as most have left town. See all you guys later. Hope I am dry when I return. Going to Orange Beach, its ironic but that was the few places that had rooms. People cancelled because of the storm. Couple of photos in passing. LSU won today.  One of my twin sons has two sets  of twins aged 3 and one month. He evacuated to Alexander this mornng. My other son is off to Houston. Taking my 87 year old father in with us. You cannot take much. You can  see that  this is stressful for Louisiana. Best of Luck to Lisa, Frank and John my New Orleans Blogging buddies. Talk about a real estate vacation!!!! Got to finish packing and get on the road. Remember the media never tells it like it really is. There is always another side... 08/30/2008

New Orleans Warehouse District Condos- The corporate condo rental business is alive! Gallery Row Luxury Corp Lease     The condo rental business is rather tight in the New Orleans Warehouse District.  One of the most interesting aspects of this segment is the corporate rental.  This is where the unit is fully furnished down to the forks and spoons.  Everything that someone would need for a week or  if they are staying 3 months to a year where they can just move in and enjoy.  There are many people that just do not want to stay in a hotel for that period.  The Warehouse District happens to be one of the most desired locations for this type of condo.       Anne Pierson has a speciality in this, you can see her site and work she has done with the New Orleans Corporate rental business.  Ann... 08/29/2008

With another storm moving into the Gulf of Mexico and taking aim along the coast, the real estate business for me has just ground to a screeching halt.  Everyone is busy stocking up on their hurricane supplies if they plan to stay or making hotel reservations if they plan to evacuate to.  In my case, I'm doing all of the above - preparing for any possibility while hoping none of it is necessary.  In addition to taking care of my family, I have to go visit all of my listings tomorrow and pull up the signs.  Somehow, I don't think the neighbors would be at all amused or understanding if a big wooden stake with my name and phone number attached to it was the cause of damage to their property.  Then I have to clean out the fridge (don't want a repeat of that nasty shrimp filled one after Ka... 08/27/2008

Tip of the Day - Buyers bring a camera! Lights, camera, action! When you go out to view houses with your New Orleans buyer's agent, bring a camera along. There is a lot on the market and you may tour through so many homes that you forget which interior goes with which address! Digital cameras can make your life much easier. Snap a few photos of each listing and it will help you keep things straight throughout the searching process. My clients have used this approach and can actually enjoy the home tours because they are not forced to remember absolutely everything! __________________________________________________________________________ This New Orleans real estate tip of the day was provided by Darryl Glade, Realtor with RE/MAX N.O. Properties. Darryl can be reached at darrylglade@re... 08/26/2008