neighborhood Archives • Your Real Estate Whisperer

Is Your Neighbor Killing The Sale Of Your Ascension Parish Home?

April 3, 2017

If you have lived in a house or an apartment here in Ascension Parish, you may have had some neighbors. Some neighbors are awesome; some, well, not so much. If you have the latter of the two described neighbors, and you are looking to sell, it may be the perfect time to bury the hatchet. So how do you go about that? Below I’m listing a few tips to help you with the selling of your Ascension Parish home.

It’s Time To Talk

So you have lived in your Ascension Parish home for the last 8 years and you have only spoken to your neighbor to ask for him to stop letting his dog poop in your flower bed. Unfortunately, the response wasn’t exactly the best reaction you had hoped for. Since then, you haven’t said two words to one another. Well, this is a perfect time, before you throw the sign in the yard, to make peace. Let bygones be bygones, as they say! Just walk over and let them know your plans and how this may be the perfect opportunity for them to get a new (and better?)neighbor.

But The Neighbors Yard Looks Like H#$% !

I know, I have had one myself, and it could be a deal killer for sellers. My best advice for this, since you have now buried the hatchet, you could suggest, at your own expense, for a lawn company to freshen up the yard. I would do this tactfully just by saying, “Hey Neighbor, I was just about to call the landscaping company to spruce up my yard. I’ll pay for your’s to be done too as a courtesy if you would like?” Many people will take you up on the offer, especially since time and money will not be an issue on their end of the deal. If they refuse and the yard is really that bad, you could amp things up by getting your homeowners association involved, but I would strongly suggest you go the civilized route.

The Fence On Their Side Is Rotting.

I had a listing several years back where the neighbors shared a fence. The sellers were not on speaking terms with the next door neighbors. I wasn’t completely sure of the reason, but I did know something needed to be done about that rotting, panels missing, eyesore of a fence. According to the sellers, they had made several attempts to remedy the fence issue to no avail, including offering to repair it themselves. So I went over to the neighbors home and asked if it was possible to get the fence repaired, They grumbled for a minute but before they said a flat out NO, I said: “You can pick the fencing company and we will foot the bill!” This seemed to satisfy the neighbor and within a week new panels were being put up and the sellers were able to move on with their lives.

What If This Doesn’t Work?

Some people are just not happy unless they are making others miserable, I get it. So, I understand sometimes you can’t just change a bad relationship overnight. If you have exhausted all your resources, and you really need to move, you can always add an incentive to the buyer to sweeten the pot. What I mean is, buyers can often overlook a sour neighbor if they feel like the deal benefits them, so simply add incentives into the listing such as, some additional closing costs or lawn care for a year or even possibly a reduced price for a serious buyer.

Your best approach is to try your best to improve the relationship with the neighbors for the sake of getting your home sold for the most money.

“Because YOU Matter”

Kristina Smallhorn

(Your Real Estate Whisperer)

Cell 225-246-1812 Office 225-744-2610 Fax 225-744-2910

Info@YourRealEstateWhisperer.com

yourrealestatewhisperer.com

Villar & Company Real Estate,37283 Swamp Rd.,Suite 102 Prairieville LA, 70769

Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR with the state of Louisiana, USA.

The HOA in Ascension Parish

October 26, 2016

What is a HOA? It’s a Home Owner’s Association, and many neighborhoods have them here in Ascension Parish unless your home is in an area marked “rural tract”.

What you need to know?

If you have an “active” home owners association you already know that you have to pay dues at scheduled times of the year. Many HOA’s will have home owners’ pay quarterly and others yearly. You get a bill in the mail from the subdivision itself or from a property management company. If you are new to a neighborhood many times these dues are paid at the time of closing, and you will see them on your closing document (the HUD settlement statement), If not you may want to contact the home owners association to give them your information, so you don’t fall behind on payments and possibly incur liens on your home if the dues are not paid.

What does a HOA do for the home owner?

All HOA’s are different for different neighborhoods, but generally they maintain the front entrance and common grounds for your neighborhood. If you have community retention ponds, playground equipment, swimming pools or a golf course, the dues are used to maintain those as well. They also regulate home owners’ from adding or subtracting from the overall appearance of the neighborhood. If you want to add a shed, cabana or swimming pool to your backyard you must have plans approved, not only by the Parish, but by your home owners association as well. Never start a large project like this without the approval of both of these entities to avoid possible fines and liens on the property.

Advantages and disadvantages of an HOA

I’ll be the first to tell you, I love an HOA after living in a community that didn’t have one prior to living in my current home. I can tell you first-hand how ridiculous some people can get when putting things in their yards and home. In my old neighborhood we had people put up plastic sheds that stuck out like a sore thumb and people who’d park on their front lawns. We had others who would take they’re fishing boats and lean them up against the fence so half of it was sticking up in the air. The final straw for me was a neighbor who absolutely refused to fix a broken fence between my yard and theirs even after we offered to pay for the missing panels.
We had small children and pets, and I didn’t want them wandering in the neighbor’s yard. After that I had enough of not being in a neighborhood without an HOA. It’s like the Wild West to me when you don’t have one in your neighborhood.

On the flip side of this, there are disadvantages – for example, the fact I have to have permission to do anything to my yard. What if the HOA doesn’t like my aesthetic, and I have to start all over? It’s the price I have to pay to live in a neighborhood that stays uniform and pleasing to the eye. Some of the rules in HOA’s can be ridiculous. For instance one of my all-time favorites of being silly is “you can’t have your garage door left up”. I have two children who constantly get bikes, chalk, hover boards, scooters, and various other outside toys from the garage and leave the garage door up a lot. I have been cited for this, but I still wouldn’t live in a neighborhood without and HOA.

If you are unsure if a neighborhood has an HOA please feel free to call me. I can get you that information and a copy of the neighborhood’s most recent covenants (rules) so you stay informed if the HOA is in line with how you would like your next neighborhood to be maintained. I strongly suggest becoming a member of your own HOA so you stay on top and become a part of your community. It’s a great way to meet people and make sure your neighborhood is maintained the way you see fit. I tell you all this, as always ………

“Because YOU matter”

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