mom Archives • Your Real Estate Whisperer

What’s The Difference Between “Contingent” and “Pending” in Ascension Parish?

March 3, 2017

You see the sign in the neighbor’s yard “For Sale,” and you know what that means, but when you look on the internet and you see homes you like only to learn that they are either “Pending” or “Contingent.” What does that mean, and can you still make an offer on the home?

Contingent

A couple years ago I had a buyer who was annoyed with me because I was sending her listings that were marked “Contingent”. She thought this meant that she couldn’t have the house so why would I be sending them to her.

This is not the case! A contingent home is one that has an accepted offer but has special conditions that allow other buyers to make an offer as well. For example, a home on 123 Love Bird Lane is for sale; the Brown Family are buyers that put in an offer that is accepted by the sellers but they need to sell their current home first before they can purchase the home on 123 Love Bird Lane. The sellers Realtor® now mark in the MLS that the home is now contingent. The Smith Family sees the same home on the internet that’s now marked contingent, takes a look at it and puts an offer on the home that the sellers do not want to turn down. At this time the Brown Family is informed by their Realtor® that they can either remove their “contingency” and hope their current home closes without issues, or they can walk away from the home on 123 Love Bird Lane and find another one.

This can be devastating for Brown family, it’s a risk to remove a contingency as they could be left with two mortgage payments if their current home doesn’t sell. Some buyers are willing and able to take the risk; others not so much.

Pending

I generally don’t send listing’s that are marked “pending.” When you see “pending” above a listing, that means the home has an accepted offer and is in the inspection and financing part of the process of the transaction. The seller cannot consider other offers since there are no special “contingencies.”

In Ascension Parish we’ve seen many homes recently go pending quickly. With the recent flood, many buyers have cash in hand and are ready to move into a new home. Just know if you see a home marked “contingent,” don’t be afraid that the home of your dreams is gone! You can always ask your Ascension Parish Realtor® if the sellers are still willing to show and/or consider another offer. Remember, “it ain’t over, ’til it’s over!!”

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

3 things to know when your home is listed.

January 20, 2017

Checklist- How to ready yourself for a hurricane.

October 10, 2016

I moved here to South Louisiana from Florida in 2007 and have seen my fair share of hurricanes here in Ascension Parish as well as in Florida. Many you have too, but even the seasoned “hurricane aware” person can forget things; so I decided that now would be a perfect time to put this list together for you. I gathered some of this information for you directly from the “www.ready.gov/kit” website but added things that we used and were thankful for later.

The Basics

Water – One gallon per person per day

Crank Radio- you can find them at places like Home Depot. I copied a link to these, http://www.homedepot.com/s/crank%2520radio?NCNI-5

Flashlights- make sure to buy extra batteries.

Glow Sticks- This wasn’t on the official website, but I promise if you have children, they will love having them to go to the bathroom, walk around the house, use as a nightlight and carry safely anywhere for hours. You can find these at any hardware store, and they are reasonably inexpensive.

First Aid Kit- You can buy a complete first aid kit at any drugstore.

Food- Anything non-perishable. For some reason, when people go to the store, they go crazy for milk, which spoils quickly without refrigeration. On that note, they do make shelf stable milk that doesn’t taste weird.

Sleeping bags and pillows- put these in a room where there no windows in case of flying glass from broken windows or doors.

Solar Charger for cell phones- Make sure to power up prior to the hurricane. Have a solar power charger to charge at least one phone. (It does take more time to charge with these, so use your phone only when necessary when the power is out.)

Change of clothes in water proof containers.

Sturdy shoes in a water tight container

Extra gas in an approved gas container for vehicles

Fire extinguisher

Water Proof Matches

Female products/Supplies

Tooth paste

Paper plates and plastic utensils

A whistle to signal for help

Dust Masks

Moist Towelettes

Tools- wrench, pliers to turn off utilities

For the kids- When my husband and I lived in Florida our children were very young. We always made hurricane days into an indoor camping trip. Complete with sleeping bags all in one room, we had them bring one lovey toy and one board game we could all play. I also had a charged DVD player ready for when the power went out. We told stories with a flashlight under our faces and made shadow puppets on the ceiling with our flashlights and fingers. We tried anything to entertain them, and we left the TV off so if the power did go out they would barely notice. It worked for us, and I hope it can work for you as well.

These are just a few items that have worked for my family. My husband and I have gone through at least 10 hurricanes together, mostly when we lived in Orlando. A couple of tips I’d like to share, that I heard from a friend, is to fill your washing machine with ice to use as a cooler for drinks. The water from melting ice will drain from the washers tub. The other helpful hint is to go to the Dollar Store and get the packs of glow stick bracelets. At night we would throw these into the bath tub to light the room for the kids when it was bath time. Not only was it entertaining, but it made bathing in the dark not so scary.
I hope this list works for you when you are trying to think of what you need. There are many websites that have more comprehensive lists of what you may need. I have listed some links below.. “Because YOU matter”. #yourrealestatewhisperer
https://www.uscg.mil/d7/airstaborinquen/docs/HurricanePage/Suggested%20Hurricane%20Supply%20Kits%20.pdf

http://www.kplctv.com/story/139411/hurricane-preparation-guide-and-checklist

http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4340160_Hurricane.pdf

http://hurricanesafety.org/prepare/hurricane-safety-checklists/

The 5 Best Places to Eat in Ascension Parish …… A personal opinion.

September 12, 2016

Whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat or sit down for a family meal, Ascension Parish has many restaurants to choose from. In the last 10 years the choices of types of food has broadened greatly. As the parish has grown so has the taste buds of my fellow Ascension Parish neighbors. Even though our area is considered small in comparison to Baton Rouge or New Orleans, that doesn’t mean we don’t have some amazing food and passionate people making tasty treats. I’m listing 5 of my personal favorite places to visit:

1. DON’S SEAFOOD Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Address: 2405 West Cabela’s Parkway, Gonzales, LA 70737
Phone: 225-644-4888 | Fax: 225-644-4998
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 10:30 am to 10:00 pm | Friday & Saturday 10:30 am to 11:00 pm
My first choice is Don’s Seafood, for what I consider to be the best Fried Catfish with Red Beans and Rice I have ever had. Several years back my home had been hit by a tornado off of HWY 930 in Prairieville. Early in the evening my doorbell rang , Ray Stonemark, the restaurants co-owner, handed my whole family a hot plate of fried catfish with red beans and rice – something I wouldn’t normally ask for in a restaurant. It was absolutely delicious. The Catfish was so crisp. The red beans were creamy, and the rice was fluffy – the perfect pillow to the red beans. Not only was it the perfect comfort meal after something so scary, it really was just down right, damn good food. I’ll never forget it, and my family gets this meal from here often.

2. Burger Delight
Address: 40255 LA-42, Prairieville, LA 70769
Phone: (225) 622-4444

This is not a sit down and eat type of place, but they do have great burgers. The lines run long most of the day when you drive through, but it’s worth the wait. The burgers are always fresh, hot and oh so delicious! Many may remember the old location on Airline Hwy. This newer one is a big improvement as far as exterior, but the burgers are just as good as before. My kids love the milkshakes.

3. Mi Padres
Address: 37460 Ultima Plaza Blvd, Prairieville, LA 70769
Phone: (225) 673-6434
Monday
11AM–9:30PM
Tuesday
11AM–9:30PM
Wednesday
11AM–9:30PM
Thursday
11AM–9:30PM
Friday
11AM–9:30PM
Saturday
11AM–9:30PM
Sunday
11AM–9:30PM
Phone: (225) 673-6434
Love this Mexican Restaurant! As soon as you walk in the front door you can watch them making homemade tortillas. The service is kind of slow, so I would go when you are not in a rush. My family loves the Cheese Dip (Queso). We order it with the fresh hot tortillas, and the steak fajitas are sooooo good.

4. Hello Tokyo 2
Address: 14639 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, LA 70737
Phone: (225) 402-4102
Monday
11AM–2:30PM, 4:30–9:30PM
Tuesday
11AM–2:30PM, 4:30–9:30PM
Wednesday
11AM–2:30PM, 4:30–9:30PM
Thursday
11AM–2:30PM, 4:30–9:30PM
Friday
11AM–10PM
Saturday
11AM–10PM
Sunday
11AM–9:30PM

I love sushi, and there are many places to choose from now here in Ascension Parish, but the4 Hello Tokyo location in Gonzales was the first. Their food is so good that they opened a new location right down the road in Prairieville. From the hibachi grill to the fresh rolled sushi rolls, it’s worth trying for yourself.

5. Sammy’s Grill
Phone: (225) 313-6025 · Address.
Address: 16400 Airline Hwy; Prairieville, Louisiana 70769

The lines are long during dinner time but for good reason. From the huge homemade cheese sticks, to the fresh boiled crawfish, this place has everything south Louisiana loves about seafood.

This list is just my opinion and is not in any specific order – I just LOVE food. All of us have been eating out more since the Great Flood of 2016. Maybe this can help you find a different place to try out.

“Because YOU matter”

#yourrealestatewhipserer