Real Estate Information

Komen Race for the Cure

For 17 years Baton Rouge has supported the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, southern style. More than 15,000 people came together to raise money to defeat this deadly disease, and in addition to the runners, there were supporters and survivors filling the Old Front Nine at LSU on March 2nd.

The young women of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority showed their version of southern hospitality by providing survivors breakfast and small gifts as tokens of support. They established a tent exclusively for survivor comfort.

Jambalaya Village

Of course, a festival in Baton Rouge couldn't be a festival without great food, so in a magnificent effort to raise additional funds, forty teams participated in a jambalaya competition. The first place winners included Mark and Josh Johnson in the 30 gallon category, Jay Alexis in the 10 gallon, and Donald Matherne in the pastalaya competition. These teams of renowned chefs added significantly to the $2.8 million raised in Baton Rouge.

Everyone Wins

A one-mile fun run kicked off the event for supporters not competing in the 5k race. Next came the Race for the Cure itself. Finishing first out of 237 women was Rosalie Teeuwen with a time of 20:03.1. Alex Braud was the first of 197 finishers with a time of 18:53.0.

Lastly were the award ceremonies, in which winners were named in 17 categories from top fund raisers to best t-shirt designs, while live music accompanied the inevitable parade!

Local benefits

Nancy G. Brinker launched the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 1980 in honor of her sister and with the promise to end breast cancer. The organization has generated $750 million for research. The network funds almost 2,000 community organizations which support education, screening and even provide patient emergency funds. Since 1982, the corporation has provided $1.3 billion in local grants. This year the organization is providing grants totaling $330,000 to seven community programs including:

• Baton Rouge General Medical Center
• Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge
• Mary Bird Perkins - Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center
• Pointe Coupee Health Services Foundation
• River Region Screening Center
• Woman's Hospital
• YWCA Greater Baton Rouge

The tremendous amount of work to raise awareness of this disease, and the community spirit demonstrated in local fundraising efforts, are indicative of the character of the people of Baton Rouge and their commitment to family and friends. Their methods of turning the task of raising funds into a delightful party for all to enjoy is part of what makes moving to Baton Rouge feel like coming home.
 

When you are trying to sell your home, the first thing you are told to address is curb appeal. But what exactly does that mean? Often, the answer you will hear is that it is the positive first impression that potential home-buyers will have of your home. But what an understatement this is. It is also the spark that makes your home stand out from the rest of the neighborhood, and brings potential buyers back from other homes they have seen. Knowing how important curb appeal is will help you take these five actions to help you sell your house quickly and for top dollar:

• Clean it up - Eliminate clutter, manicure the lawn, rake the leaves and pressure-wash the exterior. Deal with peeling paint, and fix anything broken. Make sure windows sparkle and sidewalks are swept clean. Polish brass fixtures and paint wrought iron to make them shine. A carefully attended yard is a good indicator that the interior of the home will have been cared for as well.
• Bring it to life - Plants can be added with permanent landscaping, pots or planters. Container gardens are extremely popular and offer portability and versatility to the flowers and foliage that grace your porch or yard. They add character and a splash of color that makes even "cookie cutter" houses look unique.
• Turn on the lights - Carefully planned lighting adds security as well as aesthetics. Symmetrical lights add a balanced feeling to the structure. LEDs offer options that are inexpensive to install and easy on the electric bill - curb appeal is not just important during daylight hours. Attractive lighting can add a romantic ambiance to the exterior of your home during the evening hours and spotlight architectural features you want to show off to their best advantage.
• Frame it - Add or paint shutters, doors and trim. Add symmetrical options like light fixtures or urns on either side of the front door. This creates a welcoming entry way that will beckon potential buyers to see the inside.
• Take a broad view - Take a drive through the neighborhood and make note of the homes that catch your interest. Look at your home from a distance and look for any issues that can be resolved. Take a friend or your real estate agent with you to obtain valuable input through new eyes.

By increasing the curb appeal of your home, you send an invitation to buyers to look more closely and leave a lasting impression on each of them.

For more the 40 years in a row, beginning in the magical year 1972, people from all over the Baton Rouge area have been making an annual pilgrimage to the lovely town of Ponchatoula to sink their teeth into the luscious Louisiana state fruit at the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.

Oh sure, the ruby red, plump and juicy strawberries are the headliners of this show, but it is the all too often unsung efforts of the talented supporting cast and dedicated crew behind the scenes - the tireless farmers responsible for planting, picking, polishing and propping up these delicious divas - who are the real stars on this stage.

Strawberry lovers of all ages flock here to recognize the hard work of these farmers and give thanks to them by throwing a huge party. It was not always so huge, however. When it first began, it was a relatively intimate local block party.

Today, organizers estimate that the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival brings in approximately 300,000 hungry festival goers each year from all across this great nation, as well as several others around the globe. It has even had to start the Official Strawberry Festival Board to manage all of the details, one of which is selecting and promoting the event's annual theme. The theme for the 2013 version of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival was “Celebration of the Berry”.

Celebrating the strawberry is something the good people of Ponchatoula have been doing for decades. In fact, the city was ordained as the “Strawberry Capital of the World” way back in 1968, which predates the festival by four years.

The fruits of the Tangipahoa Parish and Ponchatoula region's indefatigable farmers can be enjoyed from February to May each year. Even though the strawberry has been the major commercial crop in this area since the early days of the 20th century, the Louisiana State Legislature waited until 2001 to name it the state fruit.

And, if by some miracle you weren't already convinced to spend the second weekend of April every year from now on stuffing your face with Ponchatoula strawberries, you should know that the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival just happens to be the single largest totally FREE festival in the state of Louisiana.

If you have ever felt awkward with, embarrassed by, or way too self-conscious of your body shape and size to go out jogging - not to mention join in a public 5K event – then the Fat Boy 5k is exactly what you have been waiting for all these years.

One of the unique aspects of the Baton Rouge Fat Boy 5k is that it utilizes a wave-style starting system - the Fat Boy 5k's wave start is determined according to the weight of the individual runners. And the progression of weight divisions at the starting line goes from heaviest to lightest, meaning the more a runner weighs, the earlier he or she will begin the race.

The grand inspiration behind the Fat Boy 5k Race blossomed out of a relatively small group of friends in Baton Rouge, who also just happened to like running with one another. They started self-deprecatingly referring to their happy little crew as the Fat Boy Running Club. The unofficial inaugural running of the Baton Rouge Fat Boy 5k was 1985, with the slightly more organized version starting in 1991.

Ben Cherbonnier and Don Phelps, two of the original founders of the Fat Boy Running Club, listed the following as some of the quirky qualifications you need to exhibit in order to join their club:

• The ability to at least slow down when passing a Baskin Robbins
• You have earned the moniker, “buffet buster”, at all-you-can-eat joints
• Your idea of a light diet is to begin eating as soon as it gets light
• Drinking light beer is acceptable only if you are able to get enough of it
• Your ideal weight at race time is a perpetual myth
• Your P.R. is expressed on the Richter Scale

The Fat Boy 5k has since spread outward from Baton Rouge, like a never-ending maple-frosted longjohn, reaching all the way to New Orleans and Las Vegas. And with pre-race donuts and chocolate milk, followed by post-race Moon Pies, Mockler beverages and Manda Sausage Po-boys, its popularity can only rise, like those pre-race pastries, after about the 3k mark.

Some lessons can only be learned the hard way: through emotionally, and often financially, painful trial and error. Thankfully, you don't have to rake yourself over those coals when it comes to buying your first home. There are a number of helpful resources available to you via the internet and your local library, for those do-it-yourselfers who can allow themselves to admit they need at least a little help.

However, if you're lucky enough to live in, or are planning to move to, the Baton Rouge area, you can take advantage of the wide range of offerings provided for free by the Home Ownership Center. A community resource, staffed by professionals, and primarily set up to aid low-to-moderate-income families, the Home Ownership Center, and its comprehensive educational workshops and counseling sessions, are part of the myriad programs offered by the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance of Baton Rouge. The Alliance's mission is to encourage and expand new developments and renewal projects in the Mid-City region of Baton Rouge, through the attraction of new businesses and residents, as well as the retention of current ones.

Working in well-oiled synchronicity with its parent organization, the Home Ownership Center endeavors to bring the self-esteem and sense of pride that home ownership provides, to many who would otherwise likely not have access to this experience.

Home Ownership Center's 5 Tracks of Service

Track 1: Homebuyer Readiness

Working together with applicants to create a budget and set aside funds for purchasing a home.

Track 2: Homebuyer Training

A comprehensive 15-hour compendium of classes and learning sessions, designed to educate future homebuyers on the basics of the process, including courses covering fair housing laws, consumer credit,  the mortgage and closing processes, and many others.

Track 3: Home Purchasing

The Mid City Real Estate Agency exists to sell affordable, rehabilitated, and newly constructed homes, offered through the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance. Additionally, it helps connect first-time homebuyers with available homes by way of a special referral partnership with five real estate firms.

Track 4: Financial Education

Contacting creditors and establishing a plan to clear delinquent or disputed accounts.

Track 5: Foreclosure Prevention

Assist prospective home buyers to develop prudent money management strategies in order to properly manage their mortgage payments and avoid foreclosure. The Home Ownership Center provides one-on-one delinquent mortgage counseling services free of charge.

Applications are available at the Home Ownership Center's website and the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance offices, located at 419 North 19th Street.

If, perhaps, you are thinking that home staging is not very important, or not worth the effort, you would miss out on one of the easiest and quickest ways to showcase your home in its very best light.

Home staging is just that – it shares a number of qualities with setting the stage for individual scenes in a theater production. Imagine going to a play, and when the opening curtain is drawn, there is either an empty stage, or one cluttered with the director’s belongings and personal effects.   You would no doubt form an instant opinion based on your first impression. Likewise, a home buyer will form a very quick first impression of your house – so make it count!

In order to ensure buyers see your home sparkle and shine in the spotlight, check out some of these home staging tips:

Search and Research

This step is especially important if it has been a couple of years or more since your home was on the market. Real estate is kind of like clothing – there are fashion trends to consider. Thankfully, using magazines and the internet can make research incredibly easy. Talk with your real estate agent, examine photos, watch some YouTube videos, and then try to attend a few open houses in your area. All of these measures will serve to stimulate your imagination and creative impulses, which you can then unleash upon your own home.

Depersonalize

One of the most difficult steps in the home staging process - but one of the most vital - is to remove as much of yourself from your home as possible, or at the very least, from the primary living spaces.

This can be difficult for sellers to accomplish because we all tend to fall into habits at home, and we might not easily see our clutter, even though an outside can. Start by removing all of the obvious personal items, such as family photos, seasonal décor, knick-knacks or souvenirs. Then, get the opinion of your real estate agent or another outside party, in order to highlight areas you may have missed - you will probably be surprised at what they notice.

Use Priority Staging Techniques

You do not need to stage your entire house. Most buyers who come to look at your home will primarily focus their attention on the largest and most commonly used rooms, such as the kitchen, living room and master suite.

Home staging gives you the power to control, or at least influence, potential buyers' first impressions of your home. And we all know that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

You are invited to join in on some delicious fun Wednesday, March 20, when the first-ever Dishcrawl Baton Rouge sets its sights and taste buds on an array of incredible local food delicacies and specialities offered in downtown Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge is Louisiana's capital city, and its eclectic Downtown Arts and Entertainment District is arguably the state's food, drink and fun capital as well. Celebrate and enjoy this wonderful area's myriad restaurants and eateries, as the good folks involved with Dishcrawl bring their distinctive, one-of-a-kind dining experience to Baton Rouge. This collaboration with neighborhood chefs, regional food producers and fellow "foodies", ensures you and your friends will find plenty of morsels to savor. You may even discover some new eateries to add to your personal favorites.

Your gastronomic adventure begins even before you purchase your tickets - Dishcrawl adds the spice of surprise into this premier culinary social experience at no extra charge! You will not know the names of the four Downtown restaurants at which you will be enjoying your evening; Dishcrawl is holding those close to their collective vest...for now. Oh, they will drop you hints from time to time, leading up to the magical evening, which just adds to the magnificent anticipation. Be sure to follow Dishcrawl on Twitter (@DishcrawlBTR) in order to find out before everyone else.

Dishcrawl Details

When is this event again?

Wednesday, March 20 (Times will be announced in the days leading up to the event)

Where should I go to meet and greet everyone?

Every ticket holder can expect to receive an email 48 hours prior to the evening of the event that will contain details on the location where everyone participating will meet.

What should I do in the unfortunate event that I have to cancel?

Dishcrawl allows you to cancel if you give them notification at least 48 hours in advance of the event. All scheduled Dishcrawl events will take place regardless of the weather conditions on that evening.

Does Dishcrawl accommodate vegetarians?

The short answer to this question is yes, there will be options and alternatives available to vegetarians. The longer answer, however, is that while vegetarian alternatives will be readily accessible, Dishcrawl might not have the capability to accommodate various other dietary restrictions.

Questions?

If you have any specific dietary or other concerns, questions or requests, please don’t hesitate to contact Caroline, your Baton Rouge Dishcrawl Ambassador. Her email address is Carolineh@dishcrawl.com.

Baton Rouge area homes sales rose 24 percent in October. Realtors were able to sell 650 homes for the month compared to 525 for October of 2011.

For the year, home sales are up a total of 15 percent.

The Advocate reports:

In the three major parishes within the local market:

East Baton Rouge Parish saw October home sales rise 26 percent to 363, with a dollar volume of $72.3 million. For the year, home sales are up 15 percent to 3,538 homes sold.

In Ascension Parish, home sales were down in October, falling slightly to 112 homes sold from 118 a year ago. Volume was $21.3 million. For the year, home sales in Ascension are up 13 percent to 1,246 home sold.

In Livingston Parish, October home sales were up 47 percent to 110 homes sold, with a dollar volume of $16.2 million. For the year, home sales in Livingston are up 13 percent at 1,093 homes sold.

Many factors contribute to the healthy real estate market. For example, the area's unemployment rate for September was at 6.2 percent. This is the lowest rate for the area since late 2009. Also, more recent college graduates are also staying close to Baton Rouge rather than migrating. Furthermore, the net-increase to people to the region is increasing.