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.
 

• 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

If you are buying or selling a home in the Baton Rouge area, you might have come across the term “buyer’s agent” in your research and wondered just who these people are, and what they do, and by the way, do I need one?

These are all excellent questions that deserve equally excellent answers from professional, experienced real estate experts. Fortunately, you’ve found the best place in Baton Rouge to get all of your questions answered and problems solved: The Glenda Daughety Team.

In this blog post, you will learn what a buyer’s agent does, the advantages of hiring one, and why The Glenda Daughety Team should be your go-to agency, not solely as a buyer’s agent, but also for the full spectrum of real estate situations.

Buyer’s Agent 101

The simplified definition for a buyer’s agent is, as the moniker implies, a real estate professional who is hired by the buyer of a property in order to guide the buyer through the often tedious, not infrequently confusing, and sometimes vertigo-inducing real estate purchasing transaction.

If it helps, you could think of your buyer’s agent as the real estate equivalent of a Sherpa: They are there to keep you from getting lost or (financially) hurt on your expedition to the summit of the property purchase mountain.

When you hire one of the Glenda Daughety Team’s buyer’s agents, he or she can help you with myriad aspects of buying a home including providing an expert’s eye for potential problems, negotiating to get you the best possible price and terms, and overseeing the transaction process to make sure it proceeds smoothly.

It would be understandable for you to take into account the fact that a buyer’s agent adds costs to the transaction in the form of a commission; however, in the majority of cases, the buyer’s agent works directly with the seller’s agent and the commission is split. Often more important, however, is the potential cost of not having an agent when problems arise or if a transaction takes an unexpected turn. In most cases, of course, the seller is represented by an agent and as a buyer you may suffer from an “expertise gap” if you are not advised and represented by an expert.

The three primary types of buyer’s agents, according to the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents, are as follows:

• Buyer’s Agent (BA): A conventional real estate agent who works with property listings as a major part of the agency for which he or she works. These folks are sometimes referred to as a “dual agent” because they are usually hired to represent each side – seller and buyer - of a real estate transaction.
• Single Agency Buyer Agent (SA): An agent who is hired to represent only one side of a real estate transaction – seller or buyer – and as such, does not act as a dual agent.
• Exclusive Buyer Agent (EBA): This agent works for an office that represents only buyers and does not work with general real estate (seller’s) listings.

These are condensed definitions meant to give you an informed jumping-off point into determining the type of buyer’s agent will best fulfill your specific, personal and unique needs.

For more in-depth information about buyer’s agents, check out Nolo LAW for ALL.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that there are diabolically selfish people in the world who will do just about anything to get money, regardless of who they might hurt, run over or destroy to get it.

It’s not just that these people do not care about how the repercussions of their actions are going to affect their victims. In fact, they are absolutely counting on many people to have a trusting or even naive nature.

A perfect example of this type of greedy mindset recently reared its ugly head for some homeowners in Baton Rouge, including the President of the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, Linda Gaspard.

These scammers have figured out how to gain access to ads and add their own text to them. Many of these contained a sentence in them that said something akin to, "I have decided to rent it out due to our transfer to West Africa for missionary work."

Safety in Anonymity

There are countless ways in which the relatively fast growth, expansion and innovation in communication technology has enriched our lives. So much so that most of us who are less than 40 years old probably cannot imagine what life must have been like before smart phones, personal computers and the Internet.

Because we entrust so much of the financial interworking and logistics of our daily lives to the cold, impersonal abyss of cyberspace and most of the time everything works out just fine, we can easily overlook some of the warning signs of scams that in hindsight appear to be glaringly obvious.

Some of the most common red flags to look for include:

• Terribly poor grammar
• Grossly overpriced property
• Grossly under priced property
• Any request for you to wire a monetary deposit

For most of us, the idea that we might be getting scammed doesn’t enter into our minds unless the same type of con has been run on us before or we begin noticing that things just don’t feel right.

So remember, do not give personal information to anyone over the Web unless you have absolute trust in the person or company to whom you are giving it. And, if you think you are being victimized by an online scam, your best recourse is to contact your local police or sheriff’s office.

blog.glendadaughety.com

Melrose Place (not to be confused with Melrose Place East, consisting mostly of rentals) is a Baton Rouge community offering up and coming real estate value.  This are is known for its Baton Rouge affordable housing in a neat, fairly modern neighborhood.

Location has its benefits in this Baton Rouge community.  Melrose Place is situated on Baton Rouge real estate between the Bon Carre Business Center and Baton Rouge Community College.  This easy access to employment and a business center, as well as the proximity to a growing educational institution, makes Melrose Place a desirable location for a Baton Rouge home.

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One of the best Baton Rouge real estate values to come along in awhile.  This home listing in Popular Briarwood Estates in Baton Rouge is receiving an update right now.  This beautiful home is located in a lovely area of Baton Rouge.

The current owners are transferring, and the new master suite is just being completed.  It has a large walk-in closet, updated bath and a sitting room.  Other features of this Baton Rouge home include a formal dining area, an office, a sunroom and plenty of counter space in the kitchen.  A great real estate value at less than $300,000!

To take a look at this great Baton Rouge real estate, and to see other Baton Rouge real estate values, contact Glenda Daughety.

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PETA wants LSU to use a human mascot now that the bengal tiger mascot, Mike V, has died.  However, LSU insists that a live tiger mascot is an integral part of the Baton Rouge community, and the search for Mike VI is on.  The Advocate reports:

"The live tiger mascot has been part of the LSU family and community for 71 years, and we will be getting a Mike VI, said Ginger Guttner, spokeswoman for the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, which is leading the process.

LSU insists that its treatment of the live tiger mascot is humane, even though PETA does not agree.

For more Baton Rouge community news, and to search Baton Rouge real estate, contact Glenda Daughety.

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Woodland Crossing--> Click here for a Virtual Tour!
Denham Springs, LA - 

S Harrells Ferry Landing--> Click here for a Virtual Tour!
Baton Rouge, LA -  Secluded, one street subdivision in fast growing area of Baton Rouge.  Across from Runnels School.  Only 5 years old in immaculate condition with designer colors thru-out.  Formal Dining, fabulous Living Room with corner fireplace overlooking backyard with covered patio and large decked area.  Wood, ceramic tile and carpet floors.  Office could be 4th bedroom.  Kitchen has NEW Granite slab counters, backsplash and NEW stainless steel appliances.  You'll love coming home to this one!

Broadmoor Park-->  Click here for a Virtual Tour!
Baton Rouge, LA - WHAT A FABULOUS HOME TO COME HOME TO! INVITING OPEN FLOOR PLAN, MANY NEW UPDATES INCLUDING DESIGNER COLORS, AND WOOD FLOORS. FORMAL LIVING ROOM, WONDERFUL KEEPING ROOM, AND LARGE SUNROOM - GREAT FOR OFFICE OR PLAY AREA FOR KIDS. WALK-IN CLOSETS IN EACH BEDROOM. LOTS OF CABINETS IN KITCHEN AND ROOM FOR AN ISLAND. WORKSHOP WITH ELECTRICITY. GREAT LOCATION FOR SCHOOLS, SHOPPING, LIBRARY AND MEDICAL FACILITIES. YOU'LL LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME!

For more listings visit us at www.GlendaDaughety.com!

Wonderful NEW subdivision just off I-12. Almost one year old home with many updates. Ceramic tile thru-out except bedrooms. Upgraded carpet in bedrooms. Built-in microwave, backsplash with ceramic tile, custom blinds through-out. Open floor plan for entertaining, large island and corner sink in kitchen, walk-in pantry, wonderful master suite. Great yard for those cookouts. Double garage.

After rising all last year, interest rates recently fell for six consecutive weeks to their lowest point since July.

Less than a year ago, experts everywhere, from the Federal Bureau of Investigations to the Federal Reserve, questioned appraised values of homes. Now, as the boom wanes, lenders are more certain mortgages are backed by accurately valued collateral.

That doesn't mean lenders aren't still going gangbusters on riskier, high-leverage loans for those who qualify even if income, employment and asset documentation aren't checked.

Along with housing market change comes mortgage market change in a symbiotic -- sometimes nightmarish -- relationship of ebbs and flows that can leave consumers tossing and turning at night.

Fortunately, for home owners and those looking to buy, the fundamentals still apply.

Sound, consistent financial behavior can be like a dose of NyQuil.

Here are some timely mortgage tips to soothe your worries and to help you sleep more soundly.

Whether you're a new homeowner or you've been in your house for years, why not resolve to make 2007 "the year" you whip your house and household finances in top shape? It could prevent you from encountering costly problems down the road - and assist you in getting top dollar when it comes time to sell.

The first thing you should do is develop and then implement a maintenance plan.

"A homeowner who makes the necessary yearly investment will end up saving in the long run because routine maintenance can help avoid larger, more expensive repairs that can add up to the tens of thousands of dollars or more," said Mike Kuhn, director of technical services for Housemaster, a New Jersey-based home inspection company. "It is just like giving your home its annual physical."

The Insurance Information Institute, the American Society of Home Inspectors, and the National Association of Home Builders offer a host of maintenance tips - tips that you should resolve to adopt wholeheartedly in the year ahead.