New Orleans Louisiana Real Estate and Community Blog 

The town of Gramercy in St. James Parish has been selected as the home of Louisiana Sugar Refinery. LSR is a Joint Venture with the following entities:

• Cargill, Inc.
• Imperial Sugar Company
• Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc.

The refinery will be situated along Historic River Road and in close proximity to Imperial Sugar Company. Cargill, Inc. is some miles down the River Road in adjacent St. John Parish. What a “sweet” boost for the economy in the River Parishes.

This is also great news for those interested in purchasing a home in St. James Parish. Now is the time to make your investment in your Home Sweet Home. 1st time as well as repeat homebuyers can still qualify for the tax credit. Act now. FHA guidelines are changing. Act now. Interest rates are great. Act now. If you are reading this, the time to invest is now. Prices for existing homes range from the low 100’s to the mid 300’s. Homes at the entry level have approximately 1400 square feet of living area. Rooms include 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, well-appointed kitchen, dining, living room and car storage.

Homes at the higher price level have approximately 2600 square feet of living area. Features include 3 baths, 4 bedrooms, formal living and dining rooms, great rooms, fireplaces, jetted tubs, gourmet kitchens, workshops, etc. Lots sizes vary from 90x120 to well over an acre. If you have your own plans and custom built is your heart’s desire, dial 504.616.3539 Vanessa B. Scott, REALTOR.

There are lots of lots are available. For a list of available homes, send your requests to vscott@latterblum.com.

For information on real estate in The River Parishes, dial 504.616.3539 Vanessa B. Scott, REALTOR.

Please send your requests for information you want addressed via this blog to vscott@latterblum.com. I’d be delighted to assist you with your real estate needs. If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the River Parishes, hire Vanessa B. Scott to work as your REALTOR. I welcome incoming and outgoing referrals.

St. James Parish, The Bonfire Capital of the World

St. John the Baptist Parish, The Andouille Capital of the World

Posted by:Vanessa B. Scott

Many out-of-towners ask, “what’s the big deal with Bywater and Marigny?” Oh, my goodness!!! These two New Orleans’ neighborhoods just ooze authentic southern charm! They have lots of other qualities going for them, too…..here are a few:

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Marigny is located across the street (Esplanade Avenue) from the world-famous French Quarter. This quaint faubourg (neighborhood) is divided into two sections…the Marigny Triangle and the Marigny Rectangle. The Triangle is closest to “THE QUARTER” and the rectangle is a bit further away. They’re both an easy walk to the French Quarter and the Central Business District. Bywater is just a smidge further down river.

 

ARCHITECTURE
Marigny and Bywater offer some of the oldest homes in New Orleans, some dating circa 1826. Homes run the gamut from the shotgun single, to the stately Greek revival with Creole cottages, Victorian, Italianate, Eastlake, and even a couple contemporary homes for added flavor. Many of these homes have been scooped up and restored or renovated to pristine condition. And, the exterior colors are a panorama of hues and a delight to behold….from the gaudy to the sedate.

  THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO
If you enjoy eating out…these 2 neighborhoods feature some of New Orleans’ finest restaurants…THE JOINT, ELIZABETH’S, BYWATER BARBEQUE, JACK DEMPSEY’S, LA PENICHE, MARIGNY BRASSIERE, PRALINE CONNECTION, FEELINGS, BUFFA’S…….the food is as only New Orleans can offer, seasoned just right!

If you like after hours fun, try the FRIENDLY BAR, MARKEY’S, THE SATURN BAR, MIMI’S, CUTTERS, THE COUNTRY CLUB (restaurant, bar with pool)…..

 

PARKS
Bywater’s Markey Park with once-a-month art shows is a place to take the toddlers to swing and slide, or just relax with your pooch. Marigny’s Washington Square Park, one square block, with kids area, and a scenic respite for all others.

That’s what these historic neighborhoods have to offer….architecture, terrific location adjacent the Mighty Mississippi River as a backdrop with calliope music and cruise ships and tankers announcing their arrival and departures for all to hear….AND, an array of good neighbors, darlin’! Come on down, and we’ll share a new life style with you!

(Buyers have the choice of purchasing single family or multi-family homes, condominiums, and/or commercial properties.)

Feel free to contact me at (504) 948-3011 or email me at ljlacoy@latterblum.com with any questions on the Bywater and Marigny area.

Posted by:Lane Lacoy

Over the past six months I’ve begun to immerse myself in green building technologies, practices and certifications. Already I’ve become NAR Green Certified and am in the process of becoming a Certified Green Verifier through the New Orleans Home Builder’s Association.

Nationally, there are currently four different ‘green’ certifications and/or guidelines a home can obtain – ENERY STAR, LEED for Homes, NAHB Green and Builder’s Challenge. All have their own rating system, guidelines and certifications. (See my earlier BLOG for a summary of these programs. But I’ll focus on ENERGY STAR in more detail here.

ENERGY STAR is a federal program under the EPA designed to promote energy efficiency within a home. Most people have heard of ENERGY STAR as it relates to purchasing energy efficient appliances. This is just one aspect of what ENERGY STAR promotes since they want to focus the home owner on the energy efficiency of the entire home.

To earn the ENERGY STAR rating, a home must be at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the current International Residential Code (IRC) and include other energy efficiency features that often make a home 20-30% more efficient than a standard home. Some of these other features include:

• Effective insulation
• High-performance windows
• Tight construction and ducts
• Efficient heating and cooling equipment

To obtain ENERGY STAR certification, you need to meet a set list of requirements which must then be verified by a third party verifier to obtain the certification. Either you pass by meeting the requirements or its back to the drawing board. This certification approach is unlike some of the other ‘green’ certifications whereby the builder can choose from a much longer list of ‘green’ attributes to potentially build into a home. Builders then decide which ‘green’ attributes to add and not add to the home as they work their way to achieving an overall minimum score for a specific certification. (These ‘green’ features too must be reviewed by a third party verifier.)

One other difference between ENERGY STAR and other ‘green’ certifications is that ENERGY STAR currently only focuses on energy efficiency within the home and not other ‘green’ areas such as water usage, site selection and build, and overall indoor air quality.

But with rising energy costs and the homebuyer’s interest in supporting the environment, there is no doubt there is a growing interest in ‘green’ building and related certifications. Each certification can be helpful in marketing and selling the home by giving a potential buyer an understanding of how efficient and ‘green’ friendly a home is as compared to the other available homes currently on the market.

Check out www.energystar.gov for more information, including tax credits homeowners may be eligible for given potential energy efficient renovations they’ve done to their home. Also check out www.entergy-neworleans.com/energy_efficiency for a list of energy verifiers in our area and for information on other ways to save on your energy bill.

I’d love to hear your comments on this blog! Feel free to contact me also with questions call me at 985-707-5035 or email me a pbennett@latterblum.com. Let’s get you moving! Anywhere in the country, I can get you there.

Posted by:Patricia Bennett

An On-site AUCTION is scheduled for Saturday, 20 February 2010 at 1:00 pm (CST).

You can invest in this property by submitting the successful offer prior to this date.

This is the second of my property listings that has been scheduled for sale at auction.

The first one sold prior to the auction. Cash sale. In less than a month’s time, the property was leased. Only minimal repairs were required.

This is YOUR opportunity to put your investment dollars to work.

Property Address: 2408 Van Arpel Drive, LaPlace. The property is located in New Era subdivision, St. John the Baptist Parish. Features include the following: split floor plan, 2-car garage, fenced yard, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, great room with cathedral ceiling and fireplace, separate formal dining room and 13.5’ x 13.5’ kitchen. Other features are central air conditioning and heating, total electric, covered entry and concrete patio. The home has over 1700 square feet living area. Bank-owned. REO. Bank repo.

For more information, visit www.latter-blum.com, MLS# 802138.

I almost forgot, list price? $96,900!

Now is the time to make your move! Don’t’ wait.

For more details, contact Vanessa B. Scott, REALTOR at 504.616.3539.

If you want to purchase this property prior to the auction, call me immediately.

For information on real estate in The River Parishes, contact Vanessa B. Scott, REALTOR.

Please send your requests for information you want addressed via this blog to vscott@latterblum.com. I’d be delighted to assist you with your real estate needs.

I welcome incoming and outgoing referrals.

St. James Parish, The Bonfire Capital of the World

St. John the Baptist Parish, The Andouille Capital of the World

Posted by:Vanessa B. Scott