seller Archives • Your Real Estate Whisperer

Swimming Pool – Baton Rouge Real Estate – Baton Rouge LA

January 30, 2019

Swimming Pool – Baton Rouge Real Estate – Baton Rouge LA

This home for sale in Baton Rouge has a private swimming pool and grand views of the community lakes. Home is located in Shadow Lakes subdivision, As soon as you walk through the front door you know you are in a home that is special. Beautifully remodeled in a modern classic look is not one you will not want to miss seeing. Brightly naturally lit open floor plan, in soothing paint colors that remind you of a bright sunny day at the beach. The millwork and custom built-ins, that are throughout the home, giving it a warm and inviting feeling. The large formal dining area, off from the foyer, includes an arched window with plenty of light and ample room for all your guests, for a quiet sit down dinner. The kitchen has custom cypress cabinetry, newly installed cool-neutral toned tile, gas stove cooktop, separate pantry and large eating area that is currently being used as a keeping and eating room. Off from the kitchen is a custom high-end barn door feature, covering the laundry area, across from the laundry is a built-in computer desk with more cypress cabinets. Each of the large bedrooms is there own unique space with ample closet space for storage. The master bedroom with attached ensuite bathroom feels like you just step out of a vacation magazine, the tray ceiling has a custom remote control lighting to suit your own taste for lighting color, painted in cool relaxing paint colors and tile flooring. Master bath boasts, rich dark tile, stand alone shower, large tub, water closet, spacious walk-in closet, and modern color scheme painted cabinets. Exiting from the master bed is just one of the many ways that lead you to the sizable backyard. You’ll have a hard time wanting to leave with a scenic view of the community pond and your own private swimming pool. This is a custom designed home is one you will definitely want to see for yourself.

For Full Listing Details Click Here ?? https://myre.io/0EchNfIQCbhNy

Call For your private showing appointment 225-246-1812

?If you’d like some more tips on buying your next home check out my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1

?If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr

?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9

?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com

Kristina Smallhorn, Your Real Estate Whisperer

kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com

eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817

225-246-1812, Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918

Home For Sale In Gonzales LA – With Acreage

September 4, 2018

This Gonzales home for sale is located on 14218 ADAM ARCENEAUX DR. This week we go and visit an agent open house to see all this home features and enjoy some fish fry with other fellow realtors in the area. Jeff Gautreau with Villar & Co. Real Estate was kind enough to let us through and take some video of this wonderful home that sits on 2.25 acres, all the details of it are in the link below. If you would like to schedule a private showing with me Your Real Estate Whisperer, Kristina Smallhorn, please reach out to me at 225-246-1812, I look forward to showing the porch swing ?.

?To get information on the home featured https://bit.ly/2PgThQe

Great Acadian style 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bath home on 2.25 acres in Gonzales. Enjoy your mornings on the inviting front porch. The living room features Mexican tile flooring, built-in bookcases, and a wood burning fireplace. The kitchen has an abundance of cabinetry, an island with pot drawers, an appliance garage and lots of workspaces. The master bedroom has access to the rear patio and has oversized his/her closets with built-in dressers. The master bath has a huge soaking tub, separate shower, and double vanities. Upstairs you will find 2 bedrooms, each with walk-in closets, fresh paint, and new carpet. The upstairs bathroom was just remodeled with a new tub, toilet, light fixtures and double vanity. The exterior of the home has a 3 car carport, a storage room, an 18×40 covered patio, a 40X40 workshop and an RV port. Schedule your appointment today.

??If you’d like some tips on buying your next home watch my buying a home playlist here. https://bit.ly/2sw5Pu1

??If you don’t want to miss any tips on buying and selling your home so you don’t leave money on the table at a closing time click here https://bit.ly/2sHfDRr

?To look for properties in the Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish area click here: https://goo.gl/Pfi9W9

?Copy of my FREE Ebook For Buying In Ascension Parish: https://goo.gl/ux3mYz

?To read my blog visit yourrealestatewhisperer.com

To Send Mail:
Kristina Smallhorn
PO BOX 1271
Prairieville LA 70769

Kristina Smallhorn, Your Real Estate Whisperer kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com,info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com
eXp Realty LLC,2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401, Baton Rouge LA 70817
225-246-1812,Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana, License #0912122918

5 Tips When Buying A Home – Take A Tip Tuesday.

January 16, 2018

Take A Tip Tuesday! 5 Tips For Buying A Home.

It’s Take A Tip Tuesday and in this weeks video, I discuss 5 big things that people should know when buying a home. Whether this is your first home or tenth home, these tips should always be helpful. In Ascension Parish, we have lots of people moving in and out an all around but people seem to forget what needs to be done when buying a home. Below I’ve listed 5 key tips to remember.

Get Approved!

I must say this about 1000 times in my past videos and I know if you have been following me for awhile I may sound like a broken record but I’m telling you, people jump the gun when home shopping and tend to forget all about being “pre-approved” prior to their home quest.

Size Doesn’t Matter!

This is another thing that some people can get hung up on. They want a HUGE home but did you know that if you have the largest home in a neighborhood you will get a lot less per square foot than your surrounding neighbors. Bigger doesn’t mean better and maybe an unwise investment.

Shiny New Toy Syndrome.

Imagine walking into a home that has all the bells and whistles, super thick granite, custom cabinets and all upgraded modern appliances. It’s your dream home but it’s over the budget you set for yourself. Delayed gratification can be better in the long run, especially for your wallet as well. Don’t get stuck with a home that you can barely furnish because you had to have the newest, latest and greatest.

Budget For Other Costs.

When you go on sites like Realtor dot com, Trulia, and Zillow, they will give you an estimated mortgage payment. Many of these sites do not factor in the other costs, like escrows, insurance, and taxes. Make sure you have more money set aside for these items.

Hire An Inspector.

I can’t say this enough, even if you are buying a brand new home you should have it inspected by a professional. Even though the new home has to pass building code inspections things get missed and the inspector you hire is looking out for your best interest. (To Read More About Inspections Click Here 3 Myths About Home Inspections)

I hope you found these tips useful If you’d like to read more about buying homes in the Ascension Parish Area, please download my free e-book https://goo.gl/ux3mYz. If you like to search for homes in the Ascension Parish Area Click Here. To watch all my tip videos please subscribe to my YouTube Channel by Clicking HERE!

Your Real Estate Whisperer Kristina Smallhorn "Because YOU Matter" — Your Real Estate Whisperer For Ascension Parish, Kristina Smallhorn.

Kristina Smallhorn
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com
Your Real Estate Whisperer
eXp Realty LLC
2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401
Baton Rouge LA 70817
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana

What Time Is Trick Or Treat Time In Ascension Parish 2018 Plus Safety Tips

October 24, 2017

What Time Is Trick Or Treat Time In Ascension Parish 2018?

I LOVE Halloween! Over the years I’ve even decided to dress up myself. Why not let the kid inside come out for a night? Here in Ascension Parish every year there is always a question if Halloween will be on a weekday (If October 31st falls on one) or will it be changed to a weekend prior to October 31st. This year will be no different than any other year. Halloween will be on October 31st, 2018.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS, TAKE A TIP TUESDAY — My Girl’s Trying On Different Costumes

“The Ascension Parish Council has set its trick-or-treating hours for Halloween. On Oct. 31, children can trick-or-treat between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. All children must be chaperoned by an adult. Those participating are urged to observe safety precautions, use flashlights and avoid walking on main or heavily traveled highways.”

Here Are Some Lagniappe Safety Tips To Keep You Safe This Halloween In Ascension Parish.

An adult should always accompany young children on the neighborhood rounds.
If your children are older and will be going alone, plan a route together that is acceptable to you so you know where your children will be going.
Be sure to agree on specific time children should be back home, and make sure they have a way to track the time.
Be sure to tell your children not to enter anyone’s car, stranger or otherwise, no matter how tired their little legs may be.
Make sure to tell your children to walk only in familiar, well-lit areas and stay with their friends
Let your children know, as tempting as it may be, not to eat any treats until they return home (you’ll want to review all candy that’s in the bag; never eat candy with opened wrappers)
Be sure to check to see if all pieces of the costume are fire resistant.
Check any masks that are being worn to see if they obstruct the view for the child. Be sure they can see properly to watch for cars and where they are walking. As you know, we have some rather deep ditches in front of many properties.
Add reflective tape and use glow sticks so they are easily seen at night.
Test your Halloween makeup beforehand! I know from personal experience that some Halloween makeup can be extremely irritating to small faces. My 4-year-old had hers off in five minutes after I had spent 45 mins applying it. As annoyed as I was, after it was removed, her face was as red as a beet, I felt horrible that I hadn’t checked to see if she was allergic to that particular makeup. So, that year she was a clown with a red face!
Have A Happy And Safe Halloween Ascension Parish.

I hope you found this useful for you here in Ascension Parish. Please Stay Safe! I tell you all this “Because YOU Matter”.

Kristina Smallhorn

kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com

Your Real Estate Whisperer

eXp Realty LLC

2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401

Baton Rouge LA 70817

Direct 225-246-1812

Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana

Take a Tip Tuesday, Tips for Ascension Parish “Open House” Sellers

April 25, 2017

Take a Tip Tuesday

Tips for Ascension Parish “Open House” Sellers

It’s an exciting time when you put your home on the market. The news of your first upcoming open house may make you a little nervous. You’ll have images of people swarming in your home to preview it. The truth of the matter is, that in Ascension Parish Sunday open house is popular, but rarely do you get an offer from them. And the swarms of eager buyers putting in offers over asking price are only on TV shows. Even in this HOT market, an open house is just an introduction, almost like an opening act to a play. Buyers come through and at a later date, they come back with their agent to get a better feel for the home, if they liked it at the open house.

How To Get Buyers To Like Your Ascension Parish Home Best?

Like I said, this is the opening act, so you want to make the best first impression. I know you’ve heard to de-clutter. But what does “de-clutter” really mean? In the real estate world, it means to remove and store away any personal items like family photos, or shoes lying around. Hide your dog/cat bed and toys, remove any shoes by the door, hanging towels that aren’t decorative and make sure all your laundry is folded and put away. Prior to the open house would be a perfect time to tidy up those closets, and that garage you have been ignoring for years should be swept out and organized.

Prepare For Your Safety

For the most part, the buyer’s coming through your home are there to just look at your home to possibly purchase it. On occasion, you’ll get people who are there for a completely different reason. I’ve heard stories of people taking valuables, prescription drugs and even worse, firearms have been stolen from a home. A REALTOR® does follow buyers through a home but these types who are there to steal know how to manipulate their way into getting what they want. Usually, there is only one agent in a home during an open house and they cannot be in all rooms at all times. Your best plan or action is to hide, remove or store any and all valuable items.

Prepare Your Head

Like I mentioned before, you can get caught up with the idea of an open house, but you really shouldn’t stress over it. Take the four hours that possible buyers are walking through your home to go out to the park, or go watch a movie. You don’t really want to dwell on what’s going on in your home. When it’s time to head back to the house, check with your agent to see how the open house went to ease any anxiety you may have and get feedback. Your agent should have some good info to give you from the people who walked through. This is extremely helpful when you have a future showing so you can address any problems.

Good luck with your open house!

If you’d like some more information about selling your home, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to being a service to you and your housing needs.

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

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

So…The Sellers Of An Ascension Parish Home, Not That Into You?

March 1, 2017

It happens from time to time. Buyers here in Ascension Parish find the home of their dreams, put in an offer they believe is fair and the sellers won’t budge. It doesn’t seem fair to you
and your Ascension Parish Realtor® have gone over comps and studied the area thoroughly. It happens, so what are you to do when the house of your dreams seems to be slipping from your fingers?

Try your MAX!

Discuss this with your Ascension Parish Realtor® and see if they agree with your plan to go to the maximum offer. It can’t hurt to try this tactic if it looks like the comps can support the offer. You don’t want to be in a predicament where you make an offer, but it doesn’t appraise. If a seller isn’t that into you, they could just put the house back on the market and not negotiate the appraised price. Maybe it’s simply time to move on!

This could be tough if you are absolutely in love with a home but some relationships do need to be broken at times, even with a dream home. To stand back pouting, crying and wasting energy on a house that’s wasn’t meant to be could make you miss out some great properties that come on the market, especially in our current market when houses go FAST! You just never know, sellers at times do come to their senses and revisit old offers. Yours might be one of them.

Don’t Try To Figure Out A Sellers Motives.

This just a waste of your energy and can drive you crazy adding unneeded stress. Only the seller knows why they turned down your offer. You can ask your Ascension Parish Realtor® for more insight into the matter, but if the seller is unwilling to cooperate, don’t get too emotionally annoyed.

A Learning Lesson.

Take your experience from this seller as a learning experience when negotiating on your next home using it as a litmus test of the current market. Your knowledge can make your next offer stronger and less likely for a stubborn seller to walk away. Ask yourself some questions before you go into your next deal.

Analyze what you could have done differently. Could you have gone your maximum at the beginning? Did you take too long to respond to a counter? Did you ask for too much in extras like closing costs or furnishings? Just take your time, sit back and think what you would have done differently.

Losing a home of your dreams, to put it mildly, really sucks but I promise there are other houses out there that are just as nice if not better. I have seen it time and time again when a buyer loses a home only to find one that was much better at a later date making them feel like they dodged a bullet from a bad home buying experience with stubborn sellers. I tell you all of this “Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

What Prairieville Home Buyers Need to Know Before Closing Day.

February 20, 2017

Home buying can be exciting for some, heartbreaking for others (due to circumstances of buying) or a non event for a few. Whatever your personal feelings are about the closing process, there are some things you should know.

Don’t delay, mortgage rates expire.

When you are in the loan process, the lender will “lock” in your rate. This lock doesn’t last forever; usually 45-60 days.

Any number of issues can arise from the time of signing a purchase agreement, until the day of closing. Permits, inspection issues, illegal renovations and liens on a home can make the day of closing further away than expected. A rate lock expiration could cost you a lot of extra money.

The mortgage process isn’t over when you drop off papers.

Many buyers believe once they have dropped off all the documents to the lender, it’s smooth sailing, Well I can tell you for a fact that many times they will need to verify income, assets, credit, and retirement funds just a few days before closing!

I know buyers are excited to fill up their new home with new furniture, appliances and decor, but this isn’t a time to get a new line of credit with anyone. Any blip in your credit report can throw the whole loan process into a tailspin, as changes in your financial status can put your chances of loan approval into jeopardy.

Do your walk through prior to closing.

Do not assume that the sellers have done the necessary repairs which were negotiated during your inspection period. This is the time to make sure that they have been done to the satisfaction of the terms negotiated in the repairs request.

Also, the state of Louisiana Purchase Agreement states that the home must be in the same or better condition as the day you put in the accepted contract. I have seen closings delayed because the lawn was as tall as a small child and the home inside was a dirty mess.

Your Closing day maybe very low-key.

I know you have seen these extremely excited sellers sitting at a closing table handing over a set of keys to equally excited buyers with hands held out with joy. Well, now the rules have changed as far as closings go. Most times the buyers and sellers are in separate rooms and sign papers individually; other times the sellers come to the closing table at the end of the process, which is after the buyer has signed all their loan documents. I know this may ruin the dream you’ve held dear in your mind, but I can tell you that it will still be just as joyous to have your new home after the papers are signed. Plus, with some people, its better to be separated so the atmosphere in the closing room isn’t tense.

Be proactive!

During the waiting period prior to closing, it is best for buyers to be proactive and do their research. Make sure you have a good local Realtor® who can off set red flags and be honest with you when things are not going quite right. Always hire a qualified inspector when you have your inspections of your new home. Prior to putting in an offer on a home, get yourself a lender that you are comfortable with, and who is willing to take your calls when you have questions. Lastly, never feel intimidated to ask questions of all these people; as my elementary school teacher said, “there are no stupid questions!”

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

“You’re Not From Here, Are You?!”

February 15, 2017

Throughout Louisiana, nothing makes you sound like an “outsider” than the mispronunciation of people’s last names, road names, town names and your inability to understand all the sayings you’ve never heard before! You might as well wear a sign that states “You’re not from around here.” Over the years there are some sayings and names I’ve learned that I would like to share with my fellow transplants.

What’s in a Name?

When meeting people of our awesome Parish, you’ll meet many with last names you’ve never seen before and the pronunciation will really trip you up. (Hooked on phonics rules defiantly do not apply)

Robert- Pronounced Row-BEAR this one is tricky only because if you are referring to the town of Robert it’s still said the way we foreigners know.

St. Amant- San-AmA

Robicheaux- Robe-a-shay I’ve seen this spelled a few different ways.

Aucoin- Oak-wan, This one really throws me for a loop. I still can’t figure out how those combination of letters make that pronunciation.

Hebert- A-Bear- Yep, the “H and T” aren’t even used when saying this name.

Thibodeaux- TIB-A-Dough

Boudreaux- BOOD-Dro

LeBlanc’s- La-BLAWNS

Richard- REECH-ard This one always throws me for a loop.

Melancon- MEL-AWN-sawn

These are just a few that have tripped me up, and I wanted my fellow transplants to make notes so you don’t get the hairy eyeball when you go and try to say one’s last name.

Louisiana saying’s I had never heard before I moved here.

“I can’t call it” example- “How’s your day man?” “I can’t call it”

“Make Groceries“- Going to the store and get food to fill your pantry and refrigerator.

“Lagniappe“- Pronounced, LAN-Yap..It means anything

extra.

“Come See“- Which means come over here and do this thing for me that I either don’t know how to do or don’t want to do.

“Sha“- I’ve heard this from mostly women. It’s a term of endearment for something precious and adorably cute.

“Catch a beating“- “I’d rather catch a beating than clean out my garage again” (This is a personal favorite of mine, it always makes me laugh”

“Icebox“- It’s a refrigerator! I thought for a long time it was just a separate freezer, but it refers to the whole refrigerator not just the freezer part.

“Dressed“- If you want to order a sandwich they are going to ask you “How do you want it dressed?” meaning, what extras do you want on your sandwich?

Pirogues- Pronounced PEE-Rows. It’s a type of flat-bed fishing boat that many Louisiana natives have.

Boudin- Pronounced Boo-DAN. A Cajun sausage made with pork, rice and spices.

This just touches on some of the funny words, names and expressions you will come across when moving here. It’s what makes our area so rich with interesting people and dialect. Everyday I’m thankful to be here and enjoy all these little idiosyncrasies, and I know that I have more to learn from the local natives.

Just know one more thing! People around here love their football, and whenever they are rooting for a team they spell “Go” as “Geaux,” and when they are speaking of the LSU Tigers they say “L. S. SHOE” I got this wrong for years and was teased by my coworkers for my pronunciation.

I hope this helps you when you are out in our fine Parish, and perhaps you won’t hear “You ain’t from around here, are you?”

“Because YOU Matter”

Your Real Estate Whisperer

Kristina Smallhorn

Need a Romantic Touch in Your Prairieville Home for Valentine’s Day?

February 13, 2017

It’s that time of year when we put away our Mardi Gras Ball gowns and get in the mood for love. The one day a year that we can really show our significant others that they are truly important to us. Lets be honest here, We should always be demonstrating our love year round but with our busy lives it can sometimes get put on the back burner. So it’s nice if we add some romantic touches to our Prairieville homes. So how do we do that?

Lighting.

Add some warm light bulbs in the bedroom, and in living spaces allowing natural light to spill in your home making your loved one have that soft glow of romance. Candles at night are always a nice touch but please make sure to keep them away from anything flammable. A house fire is never romantic.

If the weather is cool, running a fireplace is a nice touch. For people with ventless fireplaces be sure to crack a window for proper ventilation.

Pillow Talk.

Nobody wants to rearrange their whole home for one day, wait….I take that back… Besides Christmas, Halloween, Easter and Mardi Gras. I guess what I’m saying is that we can do something as simple as adding nice, fluffy, snuggly, softly colored pillows to our living spaces and bedrooms to create a relaxing romantic mood that can be used after Valentine’s day has past.

Rearrange?

It could be time to take a good look at your living spaces and take note if your home feels inviting now that you have the lighting, candles, pillows working. Do you need to move some furniture around? As I type this, I realized I probably need to do this myself! Decluttering spaces can make your home feel cleaner and more inviting, so get rid of all that paperwork laying around, kid toys and other useless “stuff.”

Bathrooms.

A bathroom with soft large towels, canisters filled with romantic smelling bath salts and creamy bubble bath soaps makes for a romantic space. Candles in here is a must for mood making moments, A personal favorite of mine.

I hope all of my Prairieville neighbors have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and your home is filled with love.

“Because YOU Matter”

Kristina Smallhorn

Your Real Estate Whisperer