New Orleans Louisiana Real Estate and Community Blog 

Faubourg (neighborhood) Marigny is located adjacent the world-famous French Quarter, and is a treat to visit and/or live in. Marigny was originally the plantation of Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville which was located just outside the New Orleans city limits. Marigny is the quintessential New Orleans neighborhood bounded by elegant Esplanade Avenue, the mighty Mississippi River and Press Street.

Wonderful historic homes range from the shotgun single to the lofty Creole Townhouse. One of the oldest Creole Cottages is located at the corner of Bourbon and Pauger Streets. Another fabulous property was former home of Marie Laveau’s (Voudou Priestess) father, located on the corner of Dauphine and Kerlerec Streets. George Rodrigue, BLUE DOG artist, and Chef Paul Prudhomme (owner of K-PAUL’s) are also proud Marigny residents. Marigny architecture is so inspiring, that numerous movies have been filmed in the area including THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON.

Marigny single family homes currently for sale range from $159,000 - $2,999,000.

There’s famous Frenchmen Street with its eclectic mix of restaurants, bars and shops such as Snug Harbor, the Brassiere and Wasabi. For a real treat, stop by the Praline Connection and try the fried chicken livers! Even if you hate chicken livers, these are gourmet treat from heaven!

If you like a little less commotion, travel a few blocks further down river and try Feelings Cafe, Mimi’s (voted one of the hippest bars in the city), Cutters, Big Daddy’s, and the Friendly Bar. The fare ranges from gourmet food, jive bands, to racy drag shows! Remember, you ain’t in Kansas any more!

Educationally, Marigny is the home to NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) which is nestled beside the Mississippi River between St. Ferdinand and Press Streets. NOCCA is a facility for secondary school students offering courses in creative writing, theatre, dance, music and art. The majority of NOCCA students graduate and move on to top colleges. Harry Connick, Jr., the Marsalis Brothers, and Anthony Mackie are some of NOCCA’s more famous alumnus.

So next time you travel to the “City that Care Forgot,” be sure to trek down to Marigny.

Posted by:Lane Lacoy

The Talking Heads’ song, “Once in a Lifetime” opening line was “And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack…” Who knew until then that David Byrne appreciated these wonderful historic homes? And for many New Orleanians and visitors alike, these are the homes that are typical of New Orleans architecture.

Most believe these homes got their name from the belief someone could shoot a shotgun through the front door and the pellets would go clean out the back of the house without hitting anything. That’s a comforting thought. The basic structure of a New Orleans shotgun was a raised wood frame house, built close to the street, with 3-5 rooms lined one after another.

Fireplaces were centered between rooms, and high ceilings allowed for better air circulation. Over time and renovations, these delightful shotgun homes have evolved into appreciated uniquely New Orleans architectural homes.

Don’t forget to check out some shotgun variations like camelbacks on the Bywater Home Tour this Sunday, May 24 from 1-4pm. Tickets are $12 at Bud Rip’s Bar, corner of Piety and Burgundy.

Please call me at 504-812-8481 if I can be of any help!

Posted by:Carol-Jean Dixon

We are fortunate in the New Orleans Historic Districts to have an active real estate market. We have lots of buyers, many from out-of-state, with terrific incentives such as the $8,000 federal income tax credit and up to $65,000 soft second grants for first time home buyers.

Prices are competitive ranging from $115,000 for a fixer-upper to a $999,000 for a historically significant plantation-style home adjacent to the world-famous French Quarter. AND, there’s a healthy inventory of quality homes available under $200K.

Lots going on in Bywater … the 2009 Bywater Home Tour is scheduled for Sunday, May 24th, 1-4 p.m. with seven fine homes for you to view. This event is always a local favorite! Call me if you have any questions at 504-957-5116.

Here is a photo of 1 of the 7 homes featured on the tour:

Lane Lacoy

In a city like New Orleans, where there are so many historic properties in historic neighborhoods, it’s a shame that more people don’t know about the Louisiana State Residential Rehabilitation Tax Credit. You may be familiar with the Vieux Carre and Garden District, but don’t forget about lesser known historic neighborhoods like Broadmoor, Carrollton and Mid-City. This under-utilized tax credit is available to any owner occupied building in a locally designated historic district, a Main Street district, a Cultural district, a Downtown Development District (DDD,) a contributing property in a National Register (NR) district, a residential structure that is listed or eligible for listing on the National Register, or a vacant or blighted building that is at least 50 years old. We have 19 Cultural districts, at least 21 Historic Districts, the Downtown Development District, 6 Louisiana Main Street communities, dozens of structures on the National Register and too many blighted and vacant old buildings to count. That covers a lot of properties in New Orleans!

There is a sliding scale on the tax credits, from 10% to 25% depending on the scope of the renovation, but the minimum expenditure is $20,000 and the cap on the credit is $25,000. The tax credit is divided into five equal portions so essentially you get up to a $5000 credit for five years. The first year’s credit must be taken in the year in which the work is completed. If the full credit cannot be taken in a given year, the owner will receive a check for that amount as a refund. Not bad! There are also Historic Rehabilitation tax credits for income-producing properties individually listed on the NR or as a contributing element within a NR Historic District and Louisiana State Historic Preservation tax credits for income-producing properties that are contributing elements within a DDD or Cultural District as determined by the Division of Historic Preservation. Have I mentioned that there are also Federal tax credits for historic properties?

As with any taxes or tax credits there are certain requirements and standards that must be met. Check out the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism’s website or call me at 504-613-7902 for more information.

Posted by:Kelli Wright