FIVE TIPS FOR A QUICK, EASY AND EFFICIENT MOVE    1.  CHANGE OF ADDRESS: As soon as possible, submit your change of address form to the post office.  Be sure to notify creditors, banks, family and friends as well!    2.  RESERVATIONS: If you plan to use a packing and/or moving service, do some price comparisons and make your reservations as far in advance as possible.    3.  UTILITIES: Contact your utility companies and either switch service to your new address or set cancellation dates for the old companies and a start-up day for the new companies.  This will save you from being without power and/or telephone service when you arrive, and will cut additional costs as well.    4.  PETS ARE PEOPLE TOO: Plan ahead if you'll need to transport pets to your new home.  Moving is stressful for ... 01/14/2010

    1.   TOUCH IT UP: A finished, flawless paint job can enormously increase the value and attractiveness of your home!  Spend some time checking the exterior and interior surfaces-as well as fences, banisters, etc.-and touch up any chipped or peeling paint.    2.   BAKE, BAKE, BAKE: Research has shown that potential buyers are greatly influenced not only by the appearance of a house, but by its scent as well!  Baking cookies or pastry before an open house or showing will fill your home with a warm, welcoming and comforting aroma that is irresistible to buyers!    3.   TOUCH OF COLOR: In addition to providing a delightful and aromatic scent, fresh flowers brighten up your home and appeal to the buyer's sense of aesthetics.  Add a few arrangements in different rooms to add some color an... 01/14/2010

Home Staging: Fragrance, Smells, and Odors    ·    Nothing smells better than clean! ·    The source of the most common problem odors: pets, smoking, cooking, and mold or mildew. ·    A zippered pillowcase filled with cedar chips, placed under a pet's pillow bed, will absorb most of the unpleasant odors. ·    Boiling an apple, a teaspoon of cinnamon, and a few drops of vanilla on the stove will remove burnt smells in the kitchen.  Add orange peels to make a simmering potpourri. ·    Sprinkle baking soda directly onto carpets, rugs, and sofas to eliminate odors-then let it sit for at least 30 minutes before vacuuming. ·    A bowl of vinegar placed in a room for a day or two will help neutralize smoke odors. ·    Small cotton balls with a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne, tuc... 01/14/2010

   Transforming A Room With Paint According to home staging specialists, painting the interior of a home is one the best ways to transform it into a decorator showpiece!  Painting is easy, relatively inexpensive, and a perfect project for staging do-it-yourselfers.  Before you pull out the paintbrushes, I thought you'd be interested in a few great tips from the professionals.  I hope you'll find them as helpful as I do... and happy painting!     ·    Avoid bright colors, fluorescent and neon shades, or colors that are very dark.  The hottest trends in paint colors are soft creams, taupes, and pale buttery yellow tones.   ·    Neutral colors have a universal appeal-both men and women give them favorable ratings.   ·    Don't be tempted to keep the wallpaper.  Generally, buyers are put of... 01/13/2010

Home Staging: Curb Appeal-Make The Best First Impression!    ·    Manicure the yard.   ·    Clean the windows, doors, and front entry.   ·    Plant flowers-tastefully, and abundantly!   ·    Pressure clean the exterior.   ·    Enhance and beautify with lighting.   ·    Reseal the driveways.   ·    Paint your house.   ·    Focus on the front door.   ·    Don't forget the shutters.   01/13/2010

Market Report for Oak Harbor Mariner's Cove Slidell Louisiana Mariners Cove offers beautiful waterfront homes all on navigable waterways within a 30 minute commute to New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  This is a covenant restricted gated community located just minutes by boat from Lake Pontchartrain.  Live in your vacation home year round. Homes Sold in 2008: 2  Average Selling Price: $402,000 / $146 sq ft. Homes Sold 2009: 3  Average Selling Price: $308,833 / $101 sq ft Homes sold 2010: 1  Price: $328,000 / sq ft 103 Homes currently for sale: 3  Average Asking Price: $449,333 / sq ft $146 St Tammany Tax Assessor   01/11/2010

The Fairways of Oak Harbor are located just off the I-10 allowing an easy commute to New Orleans or the Stennis space facility in Mississippi.  This is a covenant restricted and gated subdivision with the Oak Harbor Golf Courseintertwined through out the neighborhood.  Almost all of the homes feature a rear yard with a golf course view or water view.  Marketing Report for The Fairways of Oak Harbor in Slidell Louisiana. Homes Sold in 2009: 4 Average Sales Price: $348,500 Price Per Square Foot: $123 Homes Currently for Sale: 4 Average Asking Price: $437475 St Tammany Parish Assesor 01/09/2010

Saturday, January 9th Camellia City Market when:Jan 9, 2010 at 8:00am where:Slidell, LA from:Camellia City Market category:Clubs and Organizations . Sunday, January 10th Sunday Morning Worship Service when:Jan 10, 2010 at 8:00am where:Slidell, LA from:Christ Episcopal Church Of Slidell category:Religion and Spirituality . Sunday Bible Study when:Jan 10, 2010 at 9:30am where:Slidell, LA from:First Christian Church Of Slidell category:Religion and Spirituality . Sunday School when:Jan 10, 2010 at 9:45am where:Slidell, LA from:Pearl Acres Baptist Church Of Slidell category:Religion and Spirituality . Sunday Morning Worship Service when:Jan 10, 2010 at 10:30am where:Slidell, LA from:First Christian Church Of Slidell category:Religion and Spirituality . Sunday Morning Worship Service when:Ja... 01/08/2010

Home Staging: The Ten Best Do-It-Yourself Tips For $100 Or Less    ·    Potted Plants, small or large, are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to create visual appeal.    ·    Home Fragrance such as scented candles, sprays, and plug-in type fragrance gadgets in delicate scents can work wonders.    ·    Steam Cleaning-Rather than investing in a professional service, rent the machine for one day, and rejuvenate carpets and drapes.    ·    Baskets and Decorative Containers can help organize scattered items and eliminate clutter.    ·    Light Bulbs and Dimmer Switches-Brighten dark areas and rooms or soften harsh light with dimmers and the newer soft light bulbs.    ·    Paint over unusual colors or update stark white walls with a contemporary neutral tone.    ·    Fresh Flowers-In... 01/07/2010

Home Staging: Create Appeal By Maximizing Space And Minimizing Clutter    ·    It's a good idea to start by storing personal pictures, knickknacks, boxes, piles of mail, and any other eye-catching distractions. ·    Expert organizers suggest sorting through collections of books, magazines, CDs and newspapers, and getting rid of those you no longer want or use. ·    Choose containers that are as practical as they are pretty to organize magazines, toys, kitchen utensils, and other items that can't be stored away. ·    Don't forget to organize closets and drawers-buyers look everywhere! ·    Consider buying or renting a bookshelf, armoire or entertainment center from a furniture rental store to organize everything from electronic equipment to seasonal clothes.  01/07/2010

Turtle Creek Market Report, Slidell Louisiana Lovely Turtle Creek is located in Eastern St. Tammany parish just outside of Slidell's city limits. Easily accessed via the new I-10 exit at Short Cut Road or via Gause Blvd lying just off Military Road. It lies within the Northshore High SchoolDistrict which is the highest scoring district in Slidell.  Homes sold in 2009: 6 Average Sold Per Square Foot: $115 Average Sales Price: $343,417 Homes Currently for Sale : 6 Homes Currently Under Contract: 1 Average Asking Price: $436,986 St Tammany Parish Assessor Turtle Creek Slidell Louisiana HOA   01/07/2010

Attracting Birds To Your Backyard Bird watching is a popular past time that is shared by many, but what if watching your fluttering friends was as simple as peeking into your backyard?  Thanks to a few landscaping techniques, you can trade in your binoculars for a lawn chair and enjoy bird watching from the convenience and comfort of your own home. Attracting Birds Of A Feather If you want to attract birds to your backyard, you have to make it a place that they will be drawn to.  One way of doing this is by studying the feeding and/or nesting habits of the birds that you want to attract.  Like any other animal, birds have unique characteristics that are specific to their type and knowing what they enjoy will be your first step toward inviting them into your backyard. Bird Basics Birds h... 01/06/2010

Make Gardening A Family Affair As adults, we often assume that gardening is designed exclusively for us.  Believe it or not, children also love to garden making this popular past time a wonderful family-oriented activity.  If you are interested in making gardening a family affair, consider the following ideas to help make your goal a successful one. Why Children Love To Garden Children love to create and there's no better way to do so than by sharing in the fun of planting a garden.  Because little ones also love color, they are naturally drawn to the landscape of a garden.  In addition to that, they also can enjoy the pleasure of watching something grow that they had a hand in preparing. What To Plant If you want to enjoy gardening as a family affair, try planting something that the en... 01/06/2010

I have been married for 25 years now and have built three different homes that we have lived in.  Recently we moved into an older home and have started remodeling the bathrooms, etc.  I think we have done a lot considering the short time we have been in the home.  My wife on the other hand thinks it should have been done yesterday.  I don't know if building is more stressful or remodeling a home.  I do know when you lived in an newer home your taste are kind of biased.  Old homes are beautiful they just need a little TLC. 01/04/2010

Maintenance Tips For Your Home Whether it's spring, summer, fall or winter, it's important to take the necessary steps to keep your home standing tall every day. Gutter Clutter It's always important to make sure that the gutters on your roof are cleared, but it's especially necessary during the autumn months.  During this time, trees begin to change and leaves begin to fall, which means your gutters can easily become clogged.  If this happens, it could prevent rainwater from properly draining and may even result in damage.  It's also important to check your gutters throughout the year for a buildup of ice, dirt and other elements that may create a blockage. Shingle Care If your roof has shingles, you probably already know that spring is the best time to check for damage.  After the wint... 01/04/2010

Eden Isles Subdivision in Slidell, La. Eden Isles Subdivision in Slidell, La has established itself as on of Slidell's original watefront communities.  With deep water canals that lead to the beautiful Lake Ponchartrain and beyond it is a boaters paradise!  This subdivision is a sailboaters favorite as it provides easy navigation to the lake without having to go under any low bridges!  The architecture is a mix of Acadian, Ranch and Traditional and the houses are approximately 1500-6000 square feet.    School Districts: Abney Elementary/St. Tammany Jr. High/Salmen High School   For more information about Eden Isles Subdivision check out www.propertypromenade.com www.PropertyPromenade.com Your Source for Slidell, La Real Estate. 01/03/2010

Clipper Estates in Slidell, La Clipper Estates Subdivision in Slidell, La is beautiful gated, waterfront subdivision with navigable waterways leading to Lake Pontchartrain and beyond.  The palm tree lined streets of Clipper Estates and beautifully manicured lawns will welcome you as you enter.  The architecture is mostly French and Traditional and the houses range in size from approximately 1900 square feet to 3800 square feet. These homes range from 2-5 bedrooms.  This subdivision has easy access to the Interstate 10 and Hwy 11.   School District: Abney Elementary/ St. Tammany Jr. High / Salmen High School   For more information on Clipper Estates check out www.propertypromenade.com www.PropertyPromenade.com  Your Source for Slidell, La Real Esate 01/03/2010

Cypress Lakes Subdivision in Slidell, La Cypress Lakes Subdivision in Slidell, La is a gated, golf course subdivision of Oak Harbor.  It is convenient to the Interstate 10 and only a 30 minute drive to the city of New Orleans.  This gorgeous subdivision is mostly new construction (built approximately 2004-2008) and the houses range in size from 1800-3000 square feet.  As you enter the subdivision you will notice the primarily French architecture, beautiful black iron street lights and well manicured landscaping.    School Districts: Abney Elementary/St. Tammany Jr. High/Salmen High School   For more information about Cypress Lakes Subdivision check out www.propertypromenade.com www.propertypromenade.com Your Source for Slidell, La Real Estate.   01/03/2010

Vacant Land in The Fairways of Oak Harbor Overview Maps Photos Description $79,000 Lots and LandsFor Sale Main Features Location 1 MIssion HillsSlidell, LA 70458 Karin Smith ABEK Real Estate(985) 707-7624ksmith.realestate@gmail.comhttp://www.propertypromenade.com Listed by: Karin Smith - ABEK Real Estate Our recent listings Stately Acadian Style Home in Gated SubdivisionFabulous WATERFRONT home in Eden IslesBoater's Delight - Waterfront home with boatlift and dock!Single Family Residential for $129,900 in Slidell, LAFabulous Waterfront House For Rent! Subscribe to our listing feed See more Slidell, LA real estate for sale 01/03/2010

Winter is here at least for a week.  Plenty of Yankee air coming to the Northshore area of St. Tammany Parish.  residents living in Slidell, Pearl River and Lacombe need to make sure they have their external pipes are well wrapped well.  If not you may be a plumbers best friend.  Remember the rule of thumb is four hours at 28 degrees or less if colder for pipes to burst.    As of right now we have a 60% chance of rain Thursday with freezing temperature possible.  I have questions for my fellow active rainers up north.  If this happens what do you do with this stuff? How do you drive on it? How do you make a snowman? How do you get rid of it?  I need answers people, HELP.    01/03/2010