Fall Flower Beds Looking Scared From The Summer Heat?

So What Do Your Flower Beds Look like Here In Louisiana?
Mine, Look Disgraceful And If You Are Trying To Sell Your Home Now Is The Time To Spruce It Up! I Went To Louisiana Nursery, To Get John MacMillians Opinion Of What Was The Best Plants To Add.

Need More Curb appeal for selling your home in the fall season?

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When selling a home during the fall months in South Louisiana it is still important to keep your yard looking its best (even though the grass has now turned brown and the green luster not to come back until the spring). I’ve listed some things below that could help your prospective buyers still be in awe of your yard, ignoring those brown blades of hay-looking grass.

  1. Rake your yard from falling leaves. This alone can make a yard look fresh in comparison to other homes that are for sale.

  2. Plant fall flowers and put a lot in. I say it to my clients almost as a joke, but I’m slightly serious as well. If you see an empty spot in your flower beds and add as many fall flowers as you can. Nothing makes a house feel more like home than bright flowers to greet you before you enter. I found that pine straw works best here in Louisiana instead of mulch because of our heavy rains we get here.

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  1. Add color to your front door. If it needs painting, now is the perfect time to do it. A nice fall colored wreath can add a nice dress-up to the entry making the first impression inviting.
  2. Outdoor lighting. As the days become shorter, now is a good time to invest in some great outdoor lighting, A well-lit home from the outside always adds great curb appeal.

  3. Pot Some Plants- If your home doesn’t have many flowerbeds that you can add to, you can spruce up your outside by getting large flower pots and adding flowers with color in those. That always looks charming around a home.

 

  1. Don’t forget to clean out those gutters and pick up any toys and lawn hoses.

Clean and paint your mailbox.

This is a rarely thought about item in your yard but used almost daily. A fresh coat of paint on a tired mailbox can make your home stand out as being well kept. This time of year it is typical for the market does slow down a bit.  Don’t take for granted how your outside decor can attract buyers. Sometimes the yard alone is what sells the house.

“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
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0LUzFvtwb5B8EfVCF5uwg
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana

 

Yucky Baseboards In Ascension Parish- It’s Take A Tip Tuesday!

 

Everyday Household Products For House Cleaning.

All you need is …….

baking soda

vinegar 

lemons

an old tennis ball

broomstick

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Having a clean home is important, especially when you have your home listed for sale, and I know that money can be tight when you are buying or selling. Frankly, I am the world’s worst for buying every single cleaning product under the sun. Recently, after years of spending WAY too much money on cleaning products, I discovered some really wonderful ways to get your home clean for pennies on the dollar and they really clean just as good. Below I’ve listed my favorite ways to use very inexpensive household items to clean your home and one bonus item I just remembered. 

My Counters Need To Be Cleaned, BADLY! 

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Clean your countertops and sinks with this easy recipe of 1-quart hot water and 4 tablespoons of baking soda, add it to a spray bottle and voila! Cheapall-purpose cleaner; add a little lemon juice to the mix for a fresh scent.

My Closets Don’t Smell Great! 

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The culprit may be your shoes, so before you put away that baking soda after you’ve cleaned your counter tops, sprinkle some in each of the shoes. Baking soda absorbs the smells of yucky feet. Make sure to shake the baking soda out of them before wearing them again :).

I Cleaned The Sink, Why Does It Still Smell?

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Leftovers in the garbage disposal usually are the reason. I have two solutions for this. My first fix is to run hot water, and as the water is running I squeeze dish soap down the drain with the garbage disposal running. After a few seconds, I turn off the disposal and water. If the smell is still there, I will grab a half of a lemon and run that through the disposal. Generally, the dish soap trick works most of the time for me.

***Bonus*** While you have that other half of lemon out you can get stains off of cutting boards with the other half of lemon.

My Kids Art Work Doesn’t Belong On Walls.

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As much as you love your children, their colored artwork on your walls isn’t something most of us would like to keep there forever. Believe it or not, removing crayon isn’t as hard as you would imagine. Remember that box of baking soda? Sprinkle some on a damp sponge working it in circles over your little Picasso’s masterpiece.  Make sure to get a picture first so you can remember it after you’ve wiped it off.

BONUS TIP!

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I hate cleaning floorboards. When I was pregnant, many, many, moons ago I found it difficult to bend down to clean them. A client of mine told me how to clean them without ever bending over. First, you cut a slit into a tennis ball, then you put the opening of the cut tennis ball over the end of a broomstick; cover that with an old washcloth, wrapping it on with an elastic band. Now just walk around your house with the wrapped tennis ball wiping down your floorboards. You can spray a little cleaner if you need to on the washcloth.

I hope you found these hints useful, and if you would like some more tips and tricks you can always visit my website @yourrealestatewhisperer.com. 

“Because YOU Matter”

Kristina Smallhorn

Your Real Estate Whisperer

info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com

eXp Realty LLC

2900 Westfork Dr. Suite 401

Baton Rouge LA 70817

225-246-1812

Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

https://www.facebook.com/YRRealEstatWhisperer

https://twitter.com/RealEstateWhisp

https://www.instagram.com/prairievillerealestate

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0LUzFvtwb5B8EfVCF5uwg

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

Gorman Bros.-Ascension Parish Coffee Talk #27

 

Have You Been To Gorman Bros.?,  Yet In Ascension Parish?

Gorman Bros. In Ascension Parish is a local appliance store that has been in business for the last 21 years. Originally in the city of Gonzales on Burnside Rd., but eventually moving its location to Prairieville. I was able to meet up with the owner Doug Gorman and he gave us a tour of his awesome facility.

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Inside the large showroom, you’ll see beautiful lighting fixtures for an Ascension Parish resident to pick from, along with many refrigerators, ranges, cooktop stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, countertops, and outdoor kitchen appliances, this truly is a one-stop shop for your home decorating ideas. If you haven’t stopped by in a while you have to see their selection of home decor, there are so many cute options for you. If you are not sure what will work in your home the have specialist who will work with you so all of your lighting and decor flows from room to room and they are super friendly too.

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When you stop by to see Doug Gorman don’t forget to mention that “Your Real Estate Whisperer” sent ya! Why? “Because YOU Matter”

***Oh Just For FYI! Gorman Bros. in upping to usually 12-month financing to now 24 months and all of their pricing is competitive with all the box stores**

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Be Sure To Share This Post AND LIKE My Page!

“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
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
https://www.facebook.com/YRRealEstatWhisperer
https://www.instagram.com/prairievillerealestate
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0LUzFvtwb5B8EfVCF5uwg
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana

I’m Not Buying A Home “As-Is” In Ascension Parish! FORGET IT!!!

 

I’m Not Buying A Home “As-Is” In Ascension Parish! FORGET IT!!!

So you’ve gotten to the point you and your Ascension Parish Realtor are writing up your first offer and when they get to line 222 you notice they have checked “As-Is” your mind begins to race of buying a home that is nothing but a nightmare and you’re stuck with a lemon of a home, being forced to own it because this has been checked. Well, that’s not really the case.

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There are many aspects to the Louisiana residential sales contract that can sound one way but mean something completely different. One thing that comes up often during discussions when preparing an offer for the buyer and seller is the “AS-IS” clause. Most people think it means that the condition of the home currently is how you buy it, no matter what’s wrong with it. In the state of Louisiana, it doesn’t mean that at all. In the simplest terms, the “AS-IS” clause means, after you have had inspections and the sellers have remedied repair issues. At the time of closing, the home is sold to you “AS-IS”. There is a caveat to this as well. For example, if you buy a home “AS-IS,” and you’ve had your inspections, everything was repaired and on moving day you notice a stain on the ceiling in the kitchen. You don’t think much of it – nothing a little paint can’t fix. The next morning you walk into the kitchen and that stain looks a little bigger, even a little wetter than it did yesterday. You decide to go in the attic to check out the issue. Sure enough, the air conditioning pan is leaking water, the floater switch hadn’t been working properly, and the pan isn’t draining. You immediately call an A/C repairman out. The repairman gets there with speed. When he walks in the door he says “I know this house.  This is the third time I’ve been out here, I told the last owners they needed a new drain line, drip pan and floater switch but they never would listen to me. Bells and alarms are going off in your head.  The sellers never mentioned this in the property disclosure. You may be thinking now “but I bought the home AS-IS”. Guess What? You are protected by Louisiana law. The sellers knowingly withheld pertinent information about the home. You can take them to court for this and the cost of the repairs.

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So the next time you purchase or sell your home here in Ascension Parish or anywhere in the state of Louisiana, don’t think you are stuck because the “AS-IS” box was checked on your contract. As a matter of fact, most resale property in Louisiana is sold “AS-IS” without warranty. You now know that you have rights after that box is checked, and nobody can pull the wool over your eyes because you bought a home “AS-IS”.

 

“Because YOU Matter”

Kristina Smallhorn, 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

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

Ascension Parish Coffee Talk #24- Hebert’s Specialty Meats East LA. Off Of HWY 73 In Dutchtown.

 

Hebert’s Speciality Meats Located In Geismar Louisiana.
(Don’t Forget To Share This With The Hashtag #boudindiet on Facebook to win a gift card!)
Ascension Parish Coffee Talk #24

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I was lucky enough to catch up with owners Mike Stone and Jesse Benedetto of Hebert’s Specialty Meats located right off HWY 73 in the Dutchtown area. When I stopped in they were busy making their specialty, of stuffed boneless chickens. This is not prepackaged meats here! I saw them for myself, deboning chickens and stuffing potatoes all fresh made in the store. The location has been open for about six weeks now but they are having their official grand opening THIS WEEKEND. Saturday, August 19, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. They will have free samples, give-aways, and James Gilmore from 100.7 the Tiger will there too!

Mike & Jesse set out to bring the people of Ascension Parish some of the finest meats Louisiana has to offer. With their specialty boneless stuffed chicken, handmade sausages, rice dressing and crawfish etouffée you’ll have a whole meal already prepared and ready to cook. Starting next week they are planning on making hot lunches, Mike and Jesse haven’t laid out the menu yet but I sure hope they add one of those pepper jack boudin balls, they are so darn good! Go and check them out and tell them “Your Real Estate Whisperer” sent ya! Hey, Y’all, if you share this video with the hashtag #boudindiet I’ll personally have a drawing for a $25 gift card to Hebert’s Specialty Meats of East La, I’ll announce the winner on my business page and tag you in it if you win on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017 @ 12 pm.

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Don’t forget to “like” their business page for upcoming events and updated menu items.(https://www.facebook.com/HebertsSpecialtyMeatsofEastLA/…)

“Because YOU Matter”
Your Real Estate Whisperer
Kristina Smallhorn
Cell 225-246-1812
Office 2254129982 ext#149
Website www.yourrealestatewhisperer.com
Email Info@YourRealEstateWhisperer.com
eXp Realty LLC.
2900 Westfork Dr.
Baton Rouge LA 70817
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR with the state of Louisiana, USA.

Ascension Parish Coffee Talk Episode #23 Part 2- JD Pence One Year After The Flood

 

One year after the 2016 August flood many families are still struggling to get back home. Delay’s with the response from the federal government has left many with only a few months in their FEMA trailers left until the deadline. There has been no official answer if these families will be forced from their temporary housing, some of them including JD Pence, wasn’t given his trailer until February of this year. Please watch his story all the way to the end, he more than deserves to be heard.

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Music by: bensound.com

Kristina Smallhorn

kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com
Your Real Estate Whisperer
eXp Realty LLC
2900 Westfork Dr. Baton Rouge LA, 70827
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
https://www.facebook.com/YRRealEstatWhisperer
https://twitter.com/RealEstateWhisp
https://www.instagram.com/prairievillerealestate
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0LUzFvtwb5B8EfVCF5uwg
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana

 

Take A Tip Tuesday- One Year After The Flood, Flooded Remodeled Home

You May Recall A live Video I Had Done Of A Flooded And Gutted Home (The Link To That Video https://www.facebook.com/YRRealEstatWhisperer/videos/1300391263341318/) Here Is The After Video Of The Home Completely Remodeled.

Sincerely,

Kristina Smallhorn

(Your Real Estate Whisperer)

Cell 225-246-1812

Office 2254129982 ext#149

Website www.yourrealestatewhisperer.com

Email Info@YourRealEstateWhisperer.com

eXp Realty LLC. 

2900 Westfork Dr. 

Baton Rouge LA 70817

 

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

3 Myths About Home Inspections In Ascension Parish.

 

The Home Inspection in Ascension Parish- What you need to know.

Anytime you purchase a home in Ascension Parish you have the right to get a home inspection. There is no “Pass or Fail” to a home inspection. It just helps the buyers make a clear, knowledgeable decision to what problems, if any, may be wrong with the home. Some sellers have a pre-inspection done on the home so they can know of any unseen problems and make the repairs prior to listing. I’d still strongly advise getting your own inspector to look over the home when you have your inspection time. I’m listing some things you should know about the inspection period of a signed purchase agreement.

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Time Frame-

Most purchase offers state a ten day inspection period, but that time frame can be negotiated. During this time the buyers have the right to have the home inspected at their expense. This means they can hire or not hire anyone to go over the home to detect problems that may not be known to the seller.

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Who gets to inspect the home?-

Like I said before, anyone can inspect the home for the buyers. A licensed inspector holds more weight than let’s say your cousin who does home improvements for a living. The buyer can also have a structural engineer inspect the foundation, have another inspector check for mold, and another to take soil samples for various reasons. They can hire whomever they want during this ten day period to look over the home. These inspections are always approved by the sellers to allow the buyers to do this prior to the appointment. They can’t just show up during this time unannounced.

Does the seller have to do all the items the inspectors find?

The best answer for this is NO! Inspectors can find major problems and not so major problems. An A/C not working properly is an issue for concern. Chipped paint from a weed whacker along the hardy board on the side of the house – not so major.

How long do the sellers and buyers have to respond to the request?

In the state of Louisiana, they have 72 hours after receipt of inspection request to respond to the repair request. This time frame is for the sellers to make calls and get quotes for costs to them for the requested repairs. In turn, the buyers’ get 72 hours to respond to the sellers’ response to the report. This means that if the seller chooses to only make half of the repairs requested, then the buyer has the same amount of time to get quotes and make decisions to the items that were declined from repair.

Do I still have to buy the home if the seller doesn’t want to make repairs?

Unless stated in the agreement prior, the buyer does not have to buy the home if the seller is unwilling or incapable of making repairs as long as the inspections were done within the time frame allotted for inspection.

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Can the sellers negotiate the price if repairs aren’t going to be made?

Yes, the buyer can request, instead of the seller, to make the repairs so that either the sales price can be reduced or the buyer can receive closing costs. This part is something you can negotiate after you have determined the costs of the requested repairs.
Many things can and will happen during the inspection period. At a more recent inspection, I was in the kitchen as the inspector was checking the bathroom plumbing. As I sat, I began to feel water dripping on my head. I looked up, and the A/C drip pan was leaking from the ceiling. The inspection ended right there. The sellers had no idea that there was a problem, but the buyers didn’t want the home when they saw this. They thought the sellers were trying to dump their problems on an unsuspecting buyer. This wasn’t the case, but you can see how the buyers would feel like this.

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It’s important for buyers to hire a professional inspector since this example was more obvious than other problems that could come up. If you are concerned about issues with your home prior to listing you may want to consider a pre-inspection. I tell you all of this “Because YOU Matter”

Kristina Smallhorn

Your Real Estate Whisperer

225-246-1812

eXp Realty LLC, 2900 Westfork Dr. Baton Rouge LA 70827

Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149

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

Ascension Parish Coffee Talk #22, Louisiana Nursery Home & Garden Showcase.

 

Ascension Parish Coffee Talk #22, Louisiana Nursery Home & Garden Showcase

Located @ 39245 Highway 42 In Prairieville 70769

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John MacMillan was kind enough to let me stop in and give the people of Ascension Parish a private tour of Louisiana Nursery Home & Garden Showcase.  This is not just a place for plants, they have got a ton of items for your outdoor needs.
 
Their selection of outdoor plants will work perfectly with our Louisiana climate they also have pottery, outdoor decor, wind chimes and bird feeders, the list goes on and on. You can spend hours here just looking around but if you need more help with your outdoor garden and yard their friendly knowledgeable staff are more than eager to help.
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John also said that if you have any issues with your plants they can help you with the correct type of treatment for them. Bring a picture of the diseased plant and a clipping then they can prescribe the right kinds of chemicals to bring your plants back to life. Such a great service to offer the people of Ascension Parish.
 
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If you’d like to call before hand you can reach out to them at 225-677-7984, They also have a Facebook Page (click here https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaNurseryPrairieville/ to “like” and comment) or visit their website http://louisiananursery.com/
 
If you haven’t been here, you have to stop by, When you do, Tell them the Your Real Estate Whisperer sent ya.

“Because YOU Matter”

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The Following Comes Straight From the Louisiana Nursery Home & Garden Website.

About

Louisiana Nursery:

Roger Mayes started the business from scratch as a family owned retail Garden Center in February of 1983 with his son Mitch, and wife Marilyn. In March, he turned over the lead position to Mitch, who now serves as President. Roger remains actively involved as Vice President. Their business has expanded to 3 locations over a 25-year span.

Louisiana Nursery has been selected as a Baton Rouge Favorite Store for 10 straight years by the readers of Parents Magazine. We are also recognized as a “Top 10 Southern Nursery” (#48 Nationally) by Nursery Retailer Magazine.

Louisiana Nursery is also proud of the 25 Louisiana Certified Nursery Professionals that we have on staff! Come to our experts for answers to your questions!

A Note from Roger Mayes:

LOUISIANA NURSERY was established in 1983 with one Baton Rouge location. The business has grown dramatically over the years to become one of the 10 largest independent retail gardening centers in the south. (45th in the US.)

We now have 3 Baton Rouge area locations, each with 2.5 or more acres, and each uniquely different. Our stores are definitely a fun place to visit at any time of the year.

Besides our year round stock of plants, we also offer a unique gift department, several collectible departments, and a huge Christmas decorating selection.

Our goals are to provide you with a good selection, good quality, and good service. We hope our web site will help you.

Thanks,

Roger Mayes

Kristina Smallhorn
info@yourrealestatewhisperer.com
ksmallhorn@gmail.com
kristina.smallhorn@exprealty.com
Your Real Estate Whisperer
eXp Realty LLC
LAKE CHARLES, LA 70601
225-246-1812
Office (225) 412-9982 ext# 149
https://www.facebook.com/YRRealEstatWhisperer
https://twitter.com/RealEstateWhisp
https://www.instagram.com/prairievillerealestate
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0LUzFvtwb5B8EfVCF5uwg
Kristina Smallhorn is a licensed REALTOR® with the state of Louisiana