Alexandria Louisiana Subdivisions--West Pointe   Call Doug Rogers (318) 613-1994, your West Pointe Subdivision real estate expert. Click West Pointe Homes to search all homes for sale in West Pointe Subdivision. Homes Actively On the Market Currently there are 3 homes for sale in West Pointe Subdivision. With prices ranging from 307,500-319,000, these represent some of the finest homes for sale in West Alexandria La. Homes Closed in The Past Year In the past year 16 homes have sold in this subdivision. The average sales price over the last twelve months is 274,015 dollars. Why the gap between the list price and average sales price? There were several transactions this year in the older section of the subdivision. These typically net less per square foot. How long will it take to sell my... 11/30/2012

Homes For Sale in The Alexandria La Garden District--Price Reduced Call Doug Rogers (318) 613-1994, your Alexandria La real estate specialist. This home located at 2308 Marye Street has been recently reduced to 124,500 dollars. This garden district charmer has been extensively updated. Old time charm meets modern living! Click Alexandria homes for sale to see how 2308 Marye Street compares to the local competition. Let's take a quick video tour of this Alexandria Louisiana Garden District home   11/29/2012

Before You Turn Down Those Holiday Showings--  This time of year home showing requests are often greeted with a sigh by sellers. And who can blame them? With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season penciling in time to show your home can be tough. But let's examine why showings this time of year should be a cause of holiday cheer. 1) There are typically fewer weekday showings this time of year-- In the Summer it's not uncommon for me to wrap up my last home tour at 8pm. With fewer daylight hours, after work home tours become less common. 2) Buyers this time of year are more serious--Yes, we typically see more showings in the summer, but the sales volume remain pretty consistent year round. This means a larger percentage of the late Fall/early Winter prospects are "signing the ... 11/28/2012

Houses Sell Over The Holidays--  "Hey Doug, we need to sell our house pronto." Like flies drawn to a porch light, such language is music to my ears. Awesome, sign right here and I will get to work. Better start packing though, that home will be gone in no time! "Great, come over January 2nd with the paperwork and sign". I thought you needed to sell in a hurry? " We do, but my uncle says nothing sells during the holidays."  Yep, a bunch of people with extra time on their hands and in the spending spirit. Perhaps your uncle was wrong. How much eggnog did he have at that party?  I personally sold TWO properties the week of Thanksgiving. Another broker in my office had THREE offers on her 275k dollar listing. That's right, a real estate bidding war developed while most people were consuming... 11/25/2012

A Real Estate Lesson From The Beach-- "There are no shells in Destin. This area is just not known for its shells".  The family just returned from nine wonderful nights in Destin, Florida. Folks we came across warned us that Destin was not a good place for shelling. Much like real estate practice, hard work and the right tools proves the majority wrong. Let's examine what I did to find those shells... 1) I invested in the proper tools-- Destin has sugar white sand and clear water. But without my trusty polarized sunglasses making out objects on the bottom would have been tough. And that trust net came in handy in deeper waters. 2) I went where the shells were-- This involved planning, exploring, and MUCH walking. Did I mention that the best shells were a ways offshore? This meant wading ... 11/25/2012

 During an amazing Thanksgiving Holiday in Destin, Florida, I had plenty of time to stroll the beach and ponder 2013. There's something about getting away from it all to remove the "noise" from one's thinking. For 2013 I plan to remove some of the noise from my business. Let's take a look at my plan for 2013... 1) Focus on the big rocks-- Big rocks signify what is MOST important in our business. Too often, we burn daylight with pebbles, while the boulders are neglected. Prospecting is my largest rock. I am going to time block prospecting five days a week. NOTHING that doesn't involve rushing to the hospital will get in my way. 2) Removing that which frustrates me-- In 2012 I decided to help an investor client out and do some property management. I would rather sell outdated encyclopedi... 11/24/2012

 For the second time this week I have fielded calls from sellers complaining about their agent. We must be getting near a full moon because some folks have gone bonkers.  The calls start innocently enough. "Hey Doug, can you help me sell my home at 123 Maple"? I sure can! I'll be at your place in three minutes with a sign and lockbox. After we are deep into the conversation, I find that the property is actively listed for sale. I'm sorry, but your home is listed with another agent. Am I missing something? Well, we hate our agent. She/he is lazy and hasn't even sold our home. In one case the home has only been listed for thirty days, hardly enough time to judge a transaction.  Being diplomatic as possible, I encouraged the callers to call THEIR agent. If that does not work ask to speak ... 11/13/2012

I grew up in Dallas Cowboy country. This would be irrelevant without me disclosing that my favorite NFL player is Terry Bradshaw (QB of the Pittsburgh Steelers). Let's just say I learned to handle adversity as a child showing up to an East Texas elementary school wearing Steeler's gear.  What drew me to Terry Bradshaw even as a child? He never knew he was beat. Put the ball in the Blond Bomber's hand and the game was never out of reach. He would have made an excellent real estate agent.  The fourth quarter can get pretty quiet in my market. The holidays are in full force, and suddenly the agent parking lot has plenty of open spots. Some agents will take the entire Thanksgiving-New Year's  period to "plan" for the next year. If that's the case next year's strategy is heavy on Eggnog and... 11/12/2012

 I spent some time talking to a rookie agent at my  recent broker open house. Over a plate of chicken spaghetti (I bribe agents with food), we discussed his first few months in the business.  To say he had the deer in the headlight look was an understatement. Real estate school may teach the rules of the game, but it does not teach one how to survive.  Instead of celebrating his first closing, he was lamenting the fact that he had nothing else in escrow. Heck, I was impressed. How many agents close a deal within 90 days of licensing?  He hung is license at a quality firm, and from what I gather is hitting the pavement full time. This, combined with a willingness to learn puts him MILES ahead of most rookies.  So what words of advice did I give him? Relax, and try another plate of chick... 11/12/2012

Homes For Sale in Alexandria Louisiana--2308 Marye Street Call Doug Rogers (318) 613-1994, your Alexandria Louisiana real estate specialist. Click Alexandria Homes for sale to search for similar homes in the area. Three Bedroom Garden District Home Overview Maps Photos $128,500 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms1 Bathroom1 UnitInterior: 1,455 sqftLot: 7,800 sqft Location 2308 MaryeAlexandria, LA 71301USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Doug Rogers Century 21 Millennium(318) 640-2121dougsoldit@gmail.comhttp://www.LouisianaHouseHunter.com   Listed by: Bayou Properties Realty Our recent listings Pineville Luxury Home3 Bedroom Alexandria Home 100% financingNice Home With PondGarden District CharmerBeau Chene Charmer... 11/12/2012

Alexandria La Housing Report--Fall 2012 Home transactions in Alexandria remain brisk as we enter the holiday season. Let's take a closer look at the Alexandria housing market. Homes For Sale in Alexandria Currently there are 157 homes for sale in the 85k-325k price bracket. With an average list price of 184,000 residents of Alexandria can get great value for their buying dollar. Alexandria La Homes Sold In the last 90 days, 94 Alexandria homes have closed escrow. With an average sales price of 175,200 homes remain affordable, especially when low interest rates come into play. A buyer of mine closed escrow last Friday with a 3.25% FIXED rate for 30 years! How long will it take to sell my Alexandria Louisiana home? Every property is unique, but on average sellers are taking 82 days to fin... 11/10/2012

 Though "interesting" at times, 2012 has been a productive year for me.  For 2013 I would like to build on this momentum and hopefully take it to the next level.  To help facilitate this I am considering professional coaching. So far, Dirk Zeller's Real Estate Champions, and the Mike Ferry Organization have both caught my eye.  I would love to hear of your experience with professional coaching. Good, bad, or somewhere in between, all feeback is encouraged. Do you think the coaching was beneficial? Would love some advice from the ActiveRain crew! 11/10/2012

It's not a full week in real estate if you don't make at least one person angry. A fellow called earlier this week wanting to tour one of my listings. Sounds easy enough right? Let's examine how I made one less friend in the community.  An hour before the tour the prospect cancels our showing. He agrees to call later in the week, and I go about my business. As luck would have it, we received a strong offer on the home and it is now under contract. Buyers are happy, sellers are excited, down the escrow path we proceed! All is right in real estate world right? Looks like one car will be missing from the happy train. The prospect from earlier this week called wanting a showing. "I'm sorry, but the home is under contract". The prospect flipped out. What? I told you I wanted to see that hom... 11/09/2012

Another Alexandria La Home Sold--Cooper Road--  Today marked the end of the line for another renter. After making her landlord wealthy for long enough, my client made the investment in her first home! This three bedroom Alexandria home has been updated with fresh paint, fresh out of the box appliances, and a brand new water heater.  And by the end of the week this Alexandria home will feature a brand new thirty year roof! A special thanks to the law office of Stephen Huffman. To help my client avoid taking time off work, Stephen Huffman agreed to close the deal on his lunch hour. How's that for home town service! With the paperwork complete my transaction comes to a close. The escrow process had a few bumps along the way (including a couple of disappearing roofers), but thanks to some h... 11/05/2012

 I have a cousin named Craig, he is a great guy. Wish I could say the same about Craig's List! After the latest drama, I am washing my hands of this junk. We got started on the wrong foot...Last Summer a kind "Christian Missionary" stole my listing photos and posted them for sale on Craig's list. Emails, "flagging", and bad Karma did nothing to stimulate action. June-August was a rash of fielding calls from "renters" who wanted to tour my listings. Too bad none of them were for sale! Perhaps he found a new mission field, but soon the ads stopped. All was well in the universe. In October I attended a training at the local Keller Williams. The trainer had a smart-looking Craig's List campaign. Why not, I thought. So I began to post with zero results. Come to find out, my post were being ... 11/03/2012

Training and Supervising Real Estate Salesmen-- While prospecting for leads in my broker's office I came across this blast from the past. A real estate training book from 1973. Perhaps it's a result of being a history major, or maybe my dork gene is flexing it's muscle, but I find old training books like this fascinating. And while the field has certainly changed since 1973, my guess is I will net a few useful tips from reading. And the granddaddy of them all. This is a real estate book from 1962! There are sample ads, and a section on FSBO's that would not be out of place in a modern textbook. Okay, so I bet the section on "benefits of sale's ladies" may be a bit sexist. But it shall be interesting to say the least. Perhaps I will Netflix Madmen while reading over these old treasures.   11/01/2012

Homes For Sale in Alexandria La--100k-125k-- With historically low interest rates homes in the 100k-125k price range are a popular choice for first time buyers. After all, why waste money on rent when you can own a home in Alexandria, La for less? Let's take a look at what buyers can expect for 125k in Alexandria. Overview Depending on area, Alexandria home buyers MAY be able to secure a 3 bedroom 2 bath home (especially near the top of the range). Roll up your sleeves, expect a little sweat equity if the price point drops too far below 125k. But there are some great homes for sale in Alexandria La at this price point. Market Conditions As of today there are 23 single family homes for sale in Alexandria Louisiana. With an average of 1,500 heated square feet these homes are far larger th... 10/30/2012

A recent post by Greg Nino on buyer loyalty got me thinking. Why is it that buyers float from agent to agent? With all the value that a quality buyer's agent brings to the table, why are some clients willing to throw their agent to the curb? 1) Buyers don't understand what agents REALLY do-- I blame the HGTV series House Hunters. Think about it, the show centers around the buyers not the agent. All the agent does is grin and unlock the door. Do I really need a professional to turn the key? 2) Buyers assume they can get a better deal working directly with the listing agent-- "If there is no buyer's agent I can get a better deal on the house". The commission is negotiated at the time of LISTING, who brings the buyer is normally irrelevant. 3)There is normally not a written agreement betw... 10/30/2012

The Cheapest Home Is Not Necessarily The Best Deal-- Buyers these day are value conscience. Heck, after living through the Great Recession most of us are. But let's examine why the cheapest property may not represent the best value. 1) Paying a note on something you hate stinks-- In my early twenties I bought a truck. In looking at three, I went with the one that was 50 dollars a month cheaper. Did I mention this beast had a 4 cylinder engine and weighed just less than the Titanic? And who needs a CD player when a tape deck is in the dash? I regretted my decision more each month as I wrote out the payment. 2) The cheapest usually means the smallest-- Cozy is great for a romantic weekend at the beach. Not so much when you are raising children. Space is something that is not cheap to add ... 10/29/2012

Homes For Sale In The Alexandria La Garden District-- Call Doug Rogers (318) 613-1994, your Alexandria La Garden District real estate expert. Click Garden District Homes to search all homes for sale in this historic district. Market Report In the past 90 days, 9 homes have sold in the Alexandria Louisiana Garden District. Every home is unique, but on average it is taking 47 days on market to find a buyer. What does the current competition look like? There are currently 21 homes in this area for sale. Let's take a look at two fine Alexandria La Garden District homes. 2308 Marye Street This property has been extensively updated inside and out. High ceilings, fresh paint, and refinished hardwood flooring are highlights of this three bedroom home. The backyard has a privacy fence creating a... 10/29/2012