From the Baton Rouge Business Report, Real Estate Weekly:
Boosted by a better than 20% increase in the Capital Region, home sales across Louisiana were up 12.7% in the three-month period ending June 30, compared to the same quarter in 2011, according to a new report from the state's largest association of realtors. Louisiana Realtors reports the Baton Rouge metro region posted a 20.5% increase in residential sales during the second quarter, and that year-to-date sales six months through the year were up 19.4%. Home prices, however, were down 1.9% in the Capital Region during the second quarter; with the average home going for $203,336. Baton Rouge was among seven of the state's eight metro areas to see an increase in sales during the quarter. Leading the way was Lafayette, which saw a 27% spike in sales. That's the same increase by percentage that the area has had through the first half of 2012. Quarterly sales were up 12.1% in the New Orleans metro area, with year-to-date sales 13.6% better than 2011 figures. The lone metro to see a sales decline was Monroe: down 8.5% for the quarter and generally flat year-to-date, off 0.4%. Year-to-date sales across the state are up 14.7% compared to last year. "In general, the Louisiana housing market has shown significant growth in 2012, and is expected to continue the upward trend through the summer," Louisiana Realtors says in its second-quarter report. You can access the complete report here.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Capital Region home sales up again in July
From the Baton Rouge Business Report, Real Estate Weekly:
Home sales in the eight-parish region tracked by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors have been significantly higher each month this year compared to 2011 figures, and July was no exception. The 731 sales recorded across the Capital Region as of this morning represent a 15.5% increase over the 633 sold in July 2011. Among the largest parishes in the region, Ascension led the increase. The 158 sales there represented a 32% increase over the 120 sold on the month a year ago. In East Baton Rouge Parish, 408 sales were recorded—an increase of 14% over the 357 sales last July. Livingston Parish posted a rare, yet slight, decrease in sales: just the second month this year that has occurred. Ninety-five homes were sold in Livingston in July, compared to 106 in July last year. Sales in the five other parishes lumped into GBRAR's "other" statistical category—West Baton Rouge, Iberville, East Feliciana, West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee parishes—were up to 70 this July, from 50 last year. Seven months through the year, sales across the entire region are up 18.7%—at 4,482. That's 707 more homes sold thus far this year, compared to the 3,775 sold during the seven-month span last year. It's also 9% better than the 4,112 homes sold through July in 2010. Check out the complete July sales figures for yourself here.
Home sales in the eight-parish region tracked by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors have been significantly higher each month this year compared to 2011 figures, and July was no exception. The 731 sales recorded across the Capital Region as of this morning represent a 15.5% increase over the 633 sold in July 2011. Among the largest parishes in the region, Ascension led the increase. The 158 sales there represented a 32% increase over the 120 sold on the month a year ago. In East Baton Rouge Parish, 408 sales were recorded—an increase of 14% over the 357 sales last July. Livingston Parish posted a rare, yet slight, decrease in sales: just the second month this year that has occurred. Ninety-five homes were sold in Livingston in July, compared to 106 in July last year. Sales in the five other parishes lumped into GBRAR's "other" statistical category—West Baton Rouge, Iberville, East Feliciana, West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee parishes—were up to 70 this July, from 50 last year. Seven months through the year, sales across the entire region are up 18.7%—at 4,482. That's 707 more homes sold thus far this year, compared to the 3,775 sold during the seven-month span last year. It's also 9% better than the 4,112 homes sold through July in 2010. Check out the complete July sales figures for yourself here.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Free Ways to Get Your Home Ready to Sell
From Fox Business:
Getting your home ready to be put on the market is stressful—but
it doesn’t have to be expensive. The longer your house stays on the
market, the more likely you are going to have to drop your asking price,
but experts say there are a slew of free and low-cost cosmetic fixes
you can attract more buyers and sign a deal.
Improving a home’s curb appeal is a must to get buyers’ attention. Experts suggest cleaning up any brush, flower beds and gardens, trimming back trees and throwing a fresh coat of paint on the front door.
“First impressions are everything, and that's no different for our homes,” says Angie Hicks, founder of the peer-review website Angie’s List. “Your home’s interior is important when selling a home, but it’s the exterior that helps get potential buyers in the door – or keeps them from trying to get in it.”
Hicks suggests walking across the street to get a potential buyer’s view of the house—look for anything that is offputing or distracting like broken gutters, overgrown hedges or cracks. You want everything to look clean and simple.
Replacing old mulch, adding bright exterior lighting, power washing the house, painting the front door and making sure the house number is visible are all do-it-yourself projects that will boost the curb appeal without busting the budget.
Once the outside of your house is enticing, it’s time to make the interior look just as good. Before spending any money on repairs, Dan Fritschen, author of Remodel or Move? www.remodelormove.com
, advises removing any extra clutter, knick knacks and photos.
“Empty out the closets, empty the shelves and take away all the personal items.” Buyers want to see themselves in the home so the less personal items and clutter the better.
Another cost-free way to spruce up your home is getting rid of any unappealing or taste-specific window treatments. “It’s better to have no window covering then an ugly window covering,” says Fritschen. Window treatments can also distract from a good view—which is often a major selling point. If you are worried about nosey neighbors, throw sheets over the windows, just don’t forget to take them down when showing the home.
Painting is another cheap way to make a home look new. A fresh coat of paint covers up any smells and marks on the walls and gives a room more appeal. If you are on a budget, consider just painting the trim or molds, it can give an added pop for very little time and money. At the very least, Fritschen says to paint the front door and entry hall.
Make sure all the bathrooms are mildew free with clean and smudge-free mirrors. Mirrors and bright lights can make a space seem larger.
When it comes to carpeting, Fritschen suggests fixing any holes, tears and stains. “If it’s really ugly carpeting then it’s worth it to change it.”
At the end of the day how much you spend to get your home buyer ready comes down to how much of a return on your investment you want. Be careful and research the cost and return on investment on any upgrades, fixes and repairs
"A really astute homeowner will work with a real estate agent to figure out what the comparables are and what they need to do to the home to bring the value higher,” says Fritschen.
Improving a home’s curb appeal is a must to get buyers’ attention. Experts suggest cleaning up any brush, flower beds and gardens, trimming back trees and throwing a fresh coat of paint on the front door.
“First impressions are everything, and that's no different for our homes,” says Angie Hicks, founder of the peer-review website Angie’s List. “Your home’s interior is important when selling a home, but it’s the exterior that helps get potential buyers in the door – or keeps them from trying to get in it.”
Hicks suggests walking across the street to get a potential buyer’s view of the house—look for anything that is offputing or distracting like broken gutters, overgrown hedges or cracks. You want everything to look clean and simple.
Replacing old mulch, adding bright exterior lighting, power washing the house, painting the front door and making sure the house number is visible are all do-it-yourself projects that will boost the curb appeal without busting the budget.
Once the outside of your house is enticing, it’s time to make the interior look just as good. Before spending any money on repairs, Dan Fritschen, author of Remodel or Move? www.remodelormove.com
, advises removing any extra clutter, knick knacks and photos.“Empty out the closets, empty the shelves and take away all the personal items.” Buyers want to see themselves in the home so the less personal items and clutter the better.
Another cost-free way to spruce up your home is getting rid of any unappealing or taste-specific window treatments. “It’s better to have no window covering then an ugly window covering,” says Fritschen. Window treatments can also distract from a good view—which is often a major selling point. If you are worried about nosey neighbors, throw sheets over the windows, just don’t forget to take them down when showing the home.
Painting is another cheap way to make a home look new. A fresh coat of paint covers up any smells and marks on the walls and gives a room more appeal. If you are on a budget, consider just painting the trim or molds, it can give an added pop for very little time and money. At the very least, Fritschen says to paint the front door and entry hall.
Make sure all the bathrooms are mildew free with clean and smudge-free mirrors. Mirrors and bright lights can make a space seem larger.
When it comes to carpeting, Fritschen suggests fixing any holes, tears and stains. “If it’s really ugly carpeting then it’s worth it to change it.”
At the end of the day how much you spend to get your home buyer ready comes down to how much of a return on your investment you want. Be careful and research the cost and return on investment on any upgrades, fixes and repairs
"A really astute homeowner will work with a real estate agent to figure out what the comparables are and what they need to do to the home to bring the value higher,” says Fritschen.
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