REBATES and REQUIRED SERVICE LAWS - By State When you consider the Rebate and Required Service Law differences that exist in our great nation, it's not difficult to comprehend why real estate practices are so confusing. It goes without saying that property values vary from region to region and state to state. That's a well accepted assumption. However, the rules that govern our business are so ranging, so broad in scope, that such differences and variations add to the perplexity. Ten states forbid Buyer's Brokers from rebating a portion of the sales commission to the consumer. Such laws prevent an agent from contributing funds towards a clients closing costs or 'gifting' a client for a referral lead. In Louisiana, an Agent is not even allowed to show appreciation by providing a gift car... 08/01/2010

MOVING COUNTDOWN - Plan Your move!                                                  Planning and preparing for your upcoming move will allow your move to proceed smoothly. Here's a suggested schedule of tasks to help keep you focused and on track: 8 WEEKS PRIOR TO YOUR MOVE: If using the services of a professional moving company, obtain estimates and choose the one best suited for your needs. If doing it yourself, obtain estimates from truck rental companies and be sure to reserve in advance. Don't forget to consider additional moving "needs": dolly, moving blankets, etc. Draw a floor plan of your new place and what furniture stays and what will go. Lessen the items for moving by consuming food and put aside items that aren't making the move for either a garage sale or donation.   6 WEE... 07/26/2010

The Flood Insurance Reform Bill - What It Means To Homeowners.         The Flood Insurance Reform Priorities Act (H.R. 5114) passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 329 to 90 last week. It is designed to make flood insurance premiums more affordable by creating an installment payment program and delaying mandatory flood insurance for homeowners in newly classified flood zones. Flood insurance affordability is a key concern for many homeowners who live in flood zones, and is estimated to affect some 20,000 communities throughout the nation.The bill would assist homeowners who wish to purchase flood insurance as part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It is believed many owners have been unable to procure flood insurance due to the high lump sum premiums required. Th... 07/18/2010

Making An Offer To Purchase.                                                                  Finally locating a place that says "home" is a pretty exciting and emotionally charged experience. However, you want to remain as calm and objective as possible when deciding to make an offer to buy. It can be difficult to put your enthusiasm aside while you weigh the asking price against what you think the seller might accept. At this point things can become a little complex. If the price you're prepared to offer is considered by the seller to be too low, you might irritate the property owner(s). That can possibly lead to an indignant response(s) and he/she/they may become completely inflexible. Unless you're paying cash, your mortgage lender will enlist the aid of a licensed appraiser who wil... 07/16/2010

07/03/2010

Corporate Housing, Inc. provides temporary housing solutions nationwide with a specialty on the Gulf Coast. A prominent city where we provide temporary housing services is Lafayette, LA. In fact, we host a website to introduce folks to Lafayette, LafayetteCorporateHousing.com as an example of our commitment to the Acadiana area. To see photos of apartment complexes in some of the major cities where we help our clients find short and long-term corporate housing, please visit, CorporateHousingInc.com.   05/26/2010

Here are current real estate statistics for Area N, which is located in the southern part of Lafayette Parish. Area NCurrently available: 155Pending: 61Sold YTD 2010: 128 Here are market data for a few subdivisions.  Curious about your subdivision, email me. Delmar Estates (includes West and South)Available: 7Pending: 0Sold YTD: 2 ElanAvailable: 3Pending: 0Sold YTD: 2 SawgrassAvailable: 6Pending: 16Sold YTD: 31 Stonehaven on the RiverAvailable: 3Pending: 0Sold YTD: 2 Grand PointeAvailable: 4Pending: 0Sold YTD: 0 Legend CreekAvailable: 2Pending: 1Sold YTD: 9 Frenchman's CreekAvailable: 2Pending: 0Sold YTD: 3 05/24/2010

Schumacher Homes in Lafayette, LA is offering a free seminar tonight for those who are considering building a new home. Join us and learn the 6 Thing You Need To Know and 1 Thing You REALLY Need To Know when building a home. I was invited to talk about "Selling your Current Home" and will be going over some tips that can help home sellers sell faster and for more money. If you are interested, RSVP with Alison Legen by calling: 337-205-7270.   05/20/2010

05/19/2010

I want to invite every one to join us tonight for the 7th edition of Archive Aid at the Blue Moon Saloon in Lafayette, LA.  This event is hosted by the Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism and the Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  A minimum donation of $10 will grant admission to an evening of music and red beans and rice provided by Broussard’s Cajun Cookin’ and yours truly beginning at 5 p.m. Here is the line-up for tonight's event: Joshua and Claire CafferyKelli Jones and the GiantsCedric Watson and Daniel CoolikCarol Fran and David EganFeufollet "The funds raised through Archive Aid are necessary for the preservation, management and presentation of delicate historic materials; ensuring they remain intact for future generations and ar... 05/15/2010

Yesterday (May 13th) was RED Day in Keller Williams' offices across North America. A day where members of the Keller Williams family take a break from their busy lives to give back to their communities. In Lafayette, LA, members of Keller Williams Realty Acadiana worked at transforming flower beds at the Acadian Village. And while most of us had planned to be there for the day, we had completed our work by the time lunch rolled around. We even did more than anticipated! Our mission was to refresh the flower beds in front of "La Maison Bernard" and by the entrance of the village. Everything went so well with the crew we had on site that we also weeded and refreshed with new mulch the beds in front of "La Maison Castille" and "La Maison Thibodeaux." We also found an old claw foot tub in s... 05/14/2010

Today is RED Day and Keller Williams Realty's associates, staff, and friends, are getting ready to go to work and give where they live. RED Day, which stands for Renew, Energize, Donate, began last year across North America. It's a day where the members of the Keller Williams family give back to the communities where they live (see my other post about RED Day here). In Lafayette LA, the Keller Williams family will be playing in the dirt, Transforming flower beds at the Acadian Village. From their web site: "The Village was created in 1976 as a means to promote tourism and allow those developmentally disabled citizens who were serviced by LARC, Lafayette Association for Retarded Citizens, a place to prosper in the work force." We will be working in two main areas: in front of the Bernard... 05/13/2010

RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) is a Keller Williams Realty service initiative dedicated to improving our local communities. In 2009, Keller Williams associates gave more than 150,000 hours to their respective communities across North America. This year, it will be even more! For RED Day 2010, Keller Williams Realty Acadiana will be working at the Acadian Village in Lafayette, LA on May 13th (this coming Thursday). The Acadian Village "was created in 1976 as a means to promote tourism and allow those developmentally disabled citizens who were serviced by LARC, Lafayette Association for Retarded Citizens, a place to prosper in the work force." Our project: clean up and refresh 4 flower beds. So if you would like to help, bring your garden gloves and any gardening tools you have arou... 05/09/2010

Stonehaven on the River is a new subdivision on the south side of Lafayette located less than 2 miles from the Mall of Acadiana. The homes in Stonehaven offer a mix of southern Louisiana architecture with an European touch. Prices vary from the upper 200s to around 600K with most homes falling in the 300K to 400K range. Stonehaven on the River spans from Johnston Street all the way to the river just east of East Broussard Rd. While the subdivision is not yet fully developped, Stonehaven's 150 acres is Lafayette's newest planned community in the making. There is already a small park and plans call for green spaces, a retail area with grocery store and a community club house. For the ones who enjoy an active lifestyle, Stonehaven plans to add a pool, a fitness center, tennis courts, ponds... 04/07/2010

Inventory has been stable in the Village at River Ranch in Lafayette, LA with 46 homes currently on the market. Here are the statistics for the first quarter of 2010: Home sold: 9 Avg Price: $574,433 Avg $/sqft: $202.88 Avg Days on Market: 210 Lowest price: $279,000 Highest price: $1,030,000 Here are some statistics about avaialble homes in River Ranch: Homes for sale: 46 Avg Price: $641,607 Avg $/sqft: $219.04 Avg Days on Market: 179 Lowest Price: $275,000 Highest Price: $1,250,000 There has been no condominium sales so far this year in River Ranch or Mainstreet at River Ranch. One unit is currently under contract. Prices for condos vary from $128,750 for a 1 bedroom/1bath unit with 743 square feet to $836,600 for 3 bedroom/2.5 bath unit with 2475 square feet. Click here to read my pre... 04/05/2010

Too funny this morning - Here's a link to an article in our local paper about our staging business. It's a cute article about our family's recent history building a life and business in the heart of Cajun Country. Plus, my ultra-vain, never-poses-for-pictures Grandmother is in the most prominent photo on the online version in the above link. What we are cracking up about is that when we went to get the REAL paper hot off the press at 6 am, there is a picture of  me, my mom, and my grandmother smiling together on a sofa under the headline "Bar Fight Puts Man In Hospital." All I have to say to that is " POO-ee YI", which is the Cajun verbal equivalent of rolling your eyes up to God and letting out a long drawn-out sigh.   ~Michelle   01/20/2010

I would like to introduce you officially to one of our newest Conceptual Staging Designers. She has undergone extensive training and has a large body of work to her credit, and will be at the Real Estate Staging Association's Convention next week in Las Vegas, Nevada!  Barbara Guilliot                                         Barbara Guilliot is a Conceptual Designer who helps homeowners discover the equity in their property. As veteran Real Estate Stager certified by the ODDAA in 2006. Ms. Guilliot was truly a pioneer on the frontier of the staging industry in those early days when very few folks had ever heard of it, let alone seen it performed on a listing. Ms. Guilliot's experience as a Stager in the Lafayette, Louisiana market has helped her transition into a Conceptual Staging Desi... 01/18/2010

  Good afternoon agents! I want to thank the agents that have purchased virtualtours from me. And remind all of the November special and now December we're running! $129 - 360 Virtual Tour For Only $59 per Tour !!!! Call for booking !Our 360 virtual tours are not slide shows but full 360 panoramic photographs. Please visit my website for details.www.photos2geaux.smugmug.com Photos2Geaux's Photos- powered by SmugMug 11/21/2009

I'm a professional 360 Virtual Tour Photographer ! There are so call Virtual Tour Company out there and all they are is a slide show Company! So if you are looking for a true 360 Virtual Tour Company please view our national website or my company website.   http://www.realtourvision.com/  " National Website " http://photos2geaux.smugmug.com/ " 360 Real Estate Virtual Tour Photography " Please give me your comment on this ? 11/20/2009

Come join us tonight for our 19th annual Gumbo Cook-Off in the Parc International downtown Lafayette from 4pm to 7pm. This annual event is a fundraiser for Rebuilding Together, Faith House and Community Foundation of Acadiana. This year's theme is "Fright in the Parc" and as always, it promises to be a fun event with great food. If you don't have plans for dinner tonight, make plans to attend. For only $5, you can taste all the gumbo you can eat and then vote for the best one. This is a great event where real estate brokers and their affiliates compete to get the public's vote on their gumbo. Tents are decorated and people are costumed. There will also be a costume contest for children, so dress em' up! Entertainment this year will be provided by Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie. Y... 10/21/2009