Buying a newly built home in Prairieville? Here are 6 important things to know.

January 30, 2017

In Ascension Parish we sell a lot of new homes, The area has grown by leaps and bounds, especially in the last 10 years. Sometimes I forget how much it has grown until I get in my car to go shopping for groceries. Not too long ago, I would have to drive several miles just to get to a grocery store or a pharmacy. Now, we have much more convenience. It’s really become a convenient little town. No wonder why people are flocking here. We have affordable housing and fantastic public schools in addition to the convenience. As the result, home builders have been busy scooping up large parcels of land and building new homes like little worker bees. I can hardly keep up with all the new neighborhoods that have been popping up throughout the parish.

To give you an example, last year there were 973 homes sold in Prairieville alone! Of those 973 homes, 355 were new construction. These homes vary in price from the $160s to the high $400s.

So what do you need to know before buying a new home in Prairieville?

1. What is the builder offering?

Does the builder offer to pay closing costs? Do you have to use their preferred lender? Do you have to use their preferred title company? If you don’t use the preferred provider will you still get some kind of incentive like fencing, window blinds or upgraded carpeting?

Many larger builders do offer to pay your closing costs, sometimes as much as $5000, but with the caveat that you have to use their preferred lender and title company. I would strongly recommend shopping the lenders so you are getting the best deal in the long run. Sometimes when you see that they are “giving” you $5000 in closing costs, the preferred lender simply puts that money into your loan somewhere else.

2. What are the standard finishes?

We all get impressed when we walk through a model home. Its impeccably decorated and has all the bells and whistles! It’s easy for anyone to envision themselves living there. So its very important to ask what is standard and what is considered an upgrade. Finishes like rubbed oiled bronze, crown molding in all the bedrooms, and tiled showers might all be considered an upgrade, which could add significantly to the price of the house. Flooring is a very popular upgrade, and if you are wondering if this is a good upgrade investment, the market seems to suggest that it is. More and more people are asking for homes without any carpeting.

3. What is the neighborhood going to be like when its complete?

Has the builder bought the whole neighborhood? You need to know this because if the builder owns the entire development, the unsold lots will most likely be filled with similarly designed and priced houses, whereas if the development utilizes various builders, the construction may be significantly different both in architectural design

and cost. You need to be wary of anything that might devalue your home.

Is this a large builder that will be able to finish what they have started? What is the timeline for it to be built out? Not many people like living in a construction zone, as the sounds of noisy trucks, nail guns and other construction equipment can grate on your nerves, especially over long periods of time.

What are the amenities the neighborhood is offering?

When the neighborhood is finished it always nice to be able to be in an neighborhood that offers amenities for its residents like a manicured front entrance, play area for children and a community swimming pool.

4. Is there an HOA?

You’ll need to pay close attention to this, so be sure to get a copy of the rules and regulations PRIOR to your new home purchase. Some HOA’s are extremely strict with many limitations placed on the homeowner.You need to look them over to see if these rules and regulations are reasonable for you and your family.

For more information on HOA’s in Ascension Parish, visit this post;

https://yourrealestatewhisperer.com/2016/10/26/the-hoa-in-ascension-parish/

5. What kind of warranty does my home offer?

In the state of Louisiana your home is covered by The New Home Warranty Act, covering your home for several years on certain aspects like the foundation, plumbing and wiring. The link below will give you access to the details. No builder can opt out of this coverage.

To get a copy of the Louisiana New Home Warranty Act, Follow the link below

http://110title.com/the-louisiana-new-home-warranty-act-nhwa-the-basics/

6. Check References.

Google, and the Internet in general, have made it so easy for the home buyer to get good referral without having to take the builders nicely packaged referrals that are sitting in their lovely glossy new home packet! It’s not unheard of, to drive in a neighborhood and ask people what they think of their home and how the building process went. You can check Facebook to see if the builder has a business page with reviews. Also, ask your Realtor® what their experience with the builder has been in the past.

If you are considering building a new home, I have the name and number of several builders that I have worked with in the past. I know many bigger builders as well, so please, feel free to reach out to me to ask questions and get more information.. Looking forward to your call. 225-246-1812. Why, You ask……..

“Because YOU matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

3 things to know when your home is listed.

January 20, 2017

Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge : Parade Dates and Krewe’s

January 19, 2017

Krewe of Artemis- February 17, 2017

http://www.kreweofartemis.net/

see the above link to the parade route.

About: The Krewe of Artemis was founded in 2001 with the vision of bringing the Mardi Gras spirit and tradition to the Baton Rouge community with a female twist. Joanne Harvey, Krewe Captain, was born and raised in New Orleans and wanted to bring that city’s version of Mardi Gras to Baton Rouge. After experiencing the formation and success of the Krewe of Orion, through her husband, Charles Harvey (President of Orion), Joanne’s goal was to bring that same spirit and tradition but with a decidedly female angle to Baton Rouge. The Krewe made its parade debut in Baton Rouge in 2003 and has enjoyed tremendous support from the community.

Along with the Mardi Gras spirit comes service to community and the Krewe of Artemis is proud of its involvement with local charities. The Krewe has supported many community organizations, American Cancer Society, Baton Rouge Food Bank, Juvenile Diabetes Association, Race For the Cure and Dreams Come True to name a few.

Krewe of Mystique Mardi Gras Parade February 18th 2017

https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/event/krewe-of-mystique-mardi-gras-parade/216170/

http://www.krewemystique.com/

About:

Founded in 1976, we are Baton Rouge’s oldest parading Mardi Gras krewe and throughout that time we have provided carnival fun for the whole family and people of all ages. We look forward to seeing you!

Krewe Mystique rides on Saturday February 18th, 2017 @ 2pm in downtown Baton Rouge.

Krewe of Mutts February 19th 2017

http://www.caaws.org/mystic-krewe-of-mutts-parade/

About: The CAAWS Mystic Krewe of Mutts parade is a fun filled way to spend an unforgettable day with your dogs Mardi Gras style while parading them in what has become one of Baton Rouge’s most beloved events. The parade is the largest fund-raiser for CAAWS and raises much needed funds for the CAAWS Community Outreach Spay/Neuter Program. This is a very special parade that allows dogs and their families to be a part of a Mardi Gras fun without spending a fortune. The parade is a walking parade where dogs and their owners stroll along North Blvd. in their finest Mardi Gras attire. Anyone can enter the parade. You only have to fill out an entry form and pay the entry fee. Dogs are also allowed to watch the parade on the sidelines, but it is not as much fun as being in the parade.

Parade entrants are encouraged to bring “throws” for the crowd. And don’t forget to register your FLOAT. Anything that you can push or pull such as a wagon is allowed but NO motorized floats. All dogs must be on a leash. FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, NO RETRACTABLE LEASHES ARE ALLOWED, NOR ANY LEASHES LONGER THAN 6′. Your dog should have a proof of current rabies vaccination tag. No puppies under 12 weeks, aggressive dogs, or dogs in heat are allowed.

Spanish Town Parade February 25th 2017

http://www.spanishtownmardigras.com/

About: The Mystic Krewe for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana (doing business as SPLL – Society for the Preservation of Lagniappe in Louisiana) is a 501-C-3 non-profit corporation in the state of Louisiana. Its purpose is to undertake, develop, support and operate charitable, cultural and educational activities to unite all segments of the Baton Rouge community in the promotion of preserving and enhancing Baton Rouge and Louisiana traditions. SPLL is administered by a Board of Directors and sponsors 3 annual fundraisers. The Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade, Ball and Golf Tournament. All proceeds, after expenses, are donated to local charities.

Tankless Hot Water Heater Blues

January 9, 2017

Tankless Hot Water Heater Blues

I have a tankless hot water heater that I absolutely loved until the other evening when the temperature dropped into the 20’s. People up north are laughing at this I’m sure but here in Ascension Parish we don’t get this cold that often. With that being said my tankless water heater froze and I was panicked that it was going to explode. It didn’t, thank God but I was nervous for several hours.

For those of you that don’t know Ascension Parish is in the lower south area of the state of Louisiana and most new constructed homes with tankless water heaters have them mounted on outside of the home.

I was told to wrap my pipes leading to the water heater and that should prevent it from freezing, which I did but it still froze for several hours and again the next evening. If anyone could tell me what I could do to make this not happen again during the next hard freeze please comment below. Any input would be appreciated to my clients and myself in the future.

What to look for when buying a home.

January 3, 2017

When searching for a home many buyers have a wishlist of items they want. Whether it’s a beautiful kitchen or a spacious yard it’s always something they want that gets them to settle on the home of their dreams. Buyers can get caught up with the bell and whistles of the home and almost dismiss things that can be future problems for them. I’m listing a few things that buyers in Ascension Parish and anywhere you move should look for.

How old is that roof?

This can be one of the biggest expenses of a home. You should always check the property disclosure on how old the roof is and if it has documentation of when the roof was replaced.

How old is the A/C, and when was the last time is was serviced?

I have seen it time and time again. A seller has had an air conditioning unit for the last ten years with no issue but when asked when the last time the air conditioning was serviced they don’t have a response other than to say they have no issues with it. An air conditioning until should be serviced a minimum of once a year to keep it in good operational order making it last for several more years than one that hasn’t been serviced.

What about the foundation?

As you look outside the home I suggest you take a look at the brinks for cracks starting at the bottom and going up the sides of the house. Trees can cause cracks in a foundation and with our weather patterns so can settling. If you are unsure of a particular crack I recommend you hire a structural engineer to look at the slab and give you a detailed report. Typically a home inspector can see these cracks but can’t evaluate if the cracks are a structural problem for the home.

The water heater.

Of all the major components to a home this one is not so hard on your wallet. But an age of a water heater can make a difference in your utility bills. The newest tank-less water heaters are more expensive, but the initial cost outweighs the future expenses, and they have endless hot water which in my house with two girls is a big advantage.

Chimneys?

With newer homes generally they are ventless fireplaces, but with older homes they can be gas or wood burning. If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned in some time it can cause a fire hazard. I would recommend that a seller have the chimney swept and cleaned prior to closing the home. I write that in all my inspection repair requests even if it’s not mentioned in the inspection report.

Always have a professional inspection done on your home so you are aware of any defects that need to be resolved. As a buyer I also strongly recommend getting a home warranty. This will protect your investment for the first year you are in the home. It won’t cover the roof or foundation – unless you add coverage to the policy – but it will protect you for the HVAC system and the hot water heater in the cost of any repairs that may be needed. Every area has specific items that should be checked before signing on the dotted line, so please check with your REALTOR® to know those key items.

“Because YOU matter”

#yourrealestatewhisperer

There is nothing SHORT about a Short-Sale.

January 2, 2017

The verbiage alone makes it sound simple and easy. I assure you that they are labor intensive transactions. Many people ask, when searching for a home and come across the listing that say’s “Short-Sale” what exactly it is. In the simplest terms in just means the sellers are going to sell the home for less than they owe to the lender. This sounds like a great buy for the presumed buyers of these homes, but here some things you should know about them from my personal experience as well as questions that should be answered before you dive into purchasing a short-sale home.

Has the short-sale been approved?

In our area of Ascension Parish we don’t see too many short-sales any longer since the housing bubble fizzled a bit in 2008-2009. Many agents who are not experienced with a short sale get a surprising education pretty quickly. If your sellers have to “short-sale” their home the sellers agent must fill out the proper paperwork with the sellers approval to speak with the lender about short selling the home. Comparable homes in the area must show the home is worth less than what is owed and the lender must “approve” the asking price for the home in its current condition. This can take weeks, even months.

If you find a “short-sale” make sure to ask if the home was “approved” for the asking price on the MLS.

You got an accepted offer from the sellers? Not a time to relax, not just yet….

Even though you have negotiated a price with the sellers, it still needs to be accepted by the lender. The seller’s agent has to put together a settlement statement to the lender that is then “approved” or “declined” by the bank. (I have even seen a lender turn down a full asking price short-sale). This approval can take weeks even months to come through. The agents working on this call, fax, email, and use sites to upload documents to make the sale go through.

Got acceptance from the sellers and lender, what now?

This is the time you want to do your inspections, and I STRONGLY suggest you hire a professional inspector. You are going to want to keep a running total of cost of repairs. In many cases the sellers are not in the position to make costly repairs or even minor ones so this is on you, the buyer. You really need to weigh out how much these things will cost you to do. Is the amount more than the reduction you got on the home? Then you may want to find another home.

Hurry up and wait!

You have sent everything 4 times to your agent that’s been required. The sellers have too but 10 times. What could possibly be taking so long? Nobody really knows why these take so long to get approved. The theory is that only one person at each lending institute is doing these short-sale approvals, and they get a 3 hour lunch and several paid days off. (sarcasm). Kidding aside, this can take several months to get the rubber stamp that its cleared to close.

The patient will prevail.

The process can be long and exhausting but you can really get a great home for way less than the comparable’s in the neighborhood. If you have patience you can win out. It’s important you have an agent that is informed of the process and can explain the up and downs as they come along during purchasing a short-sale. There are many other things that can happen during the waiting period for approvals. I just touched on a few of the big ones. I’d love to be the one to help you with your short-sale purchase, Why?

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

The 6 main reasons your Ascension Parish home isn't selling.

October 24, 2016

The 6 main reasons your Ascension Parish home isn’t selling.

We all have seen homes that have had a “For Sale” sign sitting in the lawn for way longer than it should. It makes you wonder what has happened to make this home sit on the market so much longer than other homes in the same neighborhood. Our minds swim with the idea that there may be something wrong with the home. We can sometimes even create some kind of scandalous scenario as to why the home listing gets as stale as last month’s news.

1. Price-

Most of the time when a home has been properly marketed, the main sticking point is the price. Sellers are often unwilling to come down to the price that market dictates. Everyone wants the best price for their home, but if the market rejects that price it can be hard for some sellers to drop the price. Some agents may say “I can get you top dollar,” but “top dollar” is only the top that the market and buyers are willing to pay for your home. If you only have a few showings and no offers, its simple math -you are priced too high.

2. Your home is taste specific-

I’ll give you a perfect example. You and your neighbor have the exact same floor plan. Your neighbor and you list your homes for the exact same price with the identical listing broker. Two weeks pass and your neighbor gets two offers, and you haven’t got a single one. It’s time to re-evaluate what was the difference. The neighbor’s house has neutral paint color throughout the home that compliments many peoples’ tastes. Your home has dark colors making it feel cold and uninviting. Your neighbor’s counter tops are light simple patterned granite. You chose the darker more interesting granite with loud gold flecks. The neighbor’s carpet is in fairly good shape that is in a neutral shag style. You also have carpet that is slightly worn, but you choose the less expensive carpet showing a worn treaded path and stains. You thought having a big storage unit in the back yard would be a good selling point, but it doesn’t match the home’s exterior and takes up half the yard. All of these things you love about your home, but buyers’ like what the masses like – decluttered, neutral and clean.

3. Deferred Maintenance-

This is my favorite verbiage to use when telling someone that they need to fix everything in the house that has been put off for years. For instance, gutters that are overfilled with leaves and debris, chipped paint in and outside the home, broken and fogged windows. This one is the most common one I see here. (Never pressure wash your double pane windows. It breaks the seal and causes moisture to fill the space making that foggy look). A good rule to follow before you put your home on the market is “If you can see it, they can see it.” You can save yourself a laundry list of repair request from buyers if you just get all those repairs done prior to putting your home on the market.

4. The area-

Your house is in pristine shape. You have taken meticulous care to ensure that when you go to sell your home, everything is in tip top shape. Your lawn is always the greenest. You always maintain the outside just as much as the inside; but your neighbors…… not so much. Before any buyer even sees your home, everything comes in to play prior to the showing. If your home is in an area that has been decreasing in value, it can make the most beautiful of home seem less desirable. Nothing is worse than having a neighborhood that has given up on caring for their homes. There really isn’t much you as a seller can do, but this could be a reason why your home isn’t selling.

5. Marketing-

This one is a touchy subject. Some agents love to throw stones at how the last agent marketed your home, but sometimes it’s the sellers that crush the marketing plan from the beginning. If you will not allow your home to be put out in every media outlet available, you are limiting its chance of exposure. I know some people have special cases and reasons for this, but you have to weigh the pros and cons of limiting your agent.
On the other hand if your agent only puts your home on the MLS for 6 months never to be heard from until your listing is about to expire, you should think about interviewing a new agent. The MLS alone doesn’t sell a home.

6. Timing-

Spring time is the best time to put your home on the market, traditionally. This is true of the Ascension Parish area as well. If you list your home starting in Mid-October through the month of May, your home will take a little longer to sell.

Some listings can be more difficult than others for reasons listed above and for various others. If your agent is truly working with you, you will be aware of how the market is working as your home is for sale. Your REALTOR® should be available for you to ask questions and get updates of showings along with feedback of those showings.
***BONUS**** A little known fact to sellers is “Open houses don’t sell your home.” We have all seen on TV that the agent gets a listing, has one open house where numerous couples walk through the home, and by the end of the day they have 3 offers. But that is Hollywood’s smoke and mirrors. In our area an open house does get potential buyers to preview your home freely on a Sunday afternoon, but in my experience, rarely at the end of the day do you end up with an offer in hand.

If you are having trouble with your listing and like would some expert advice please feel free to call me, I’d love to be a service to you and selling your home.

“Because YOU matter”
#yourrealestatewhiperer

"Your Real Estate Whisperer" What’s That!?

August 5, 2016

I’m not really sure how other Realtors go about “blogging” but I don’t want to look like other realtor blogs. I just want to emphasize who I am, to you the reader first. I have often said, “I’m not the set the world on fire real estate agent”. I’m not looking to close 40 houses in a month, having a huge team behind me doing all the work. I have been and will continue to be a “hand holding” agent. I have tagged myself “Your Real Estate Whisperer” because that’s the simplest way to describe what I do for my clients. I love to work with people that are new to the idea of buying and selling, in turn, making those same clients into a relationship of a lifetime. Many of my clients have become close friends and I remember things about each and every one of them. Not one time would a client’s name come up that I wouldn’t know who they were talking about, because I take the time to invest time in each relationship I make with a client. Time is so very precious for everyone these days, we never seem to get enough in a day. So you can see how I work could benefit so many buyers and sellers out there. Home buying is stressful and if you had the agent that would call you just to check in on you during this process, it can and does ease your mind during the transaction. I won’t say, every person that walks into an open house becomes my client but the ones that do become a client are a part of my life. I’m quick to respond to questions. My phone is at my side always and if I don’t answer it’s because I’m either with a client or I’m showing homes to potential new clients. That being said, Everyone gets a call back in a timely manner, never will you wait days for a response, I’m here for you. I know my job, I know my market, I know how to negotiate (my favorite part) but mostly I understand people and how they should be represented. So that’s it folks, my first blog post.