Louisiana

The Giant Omelette Celebration is going on this weekend in Abbeville. If you've never seen a giant omelette, just imagine a 12-foot skillet with 5,025 eggs in it. Quite impressive, to say the least.

There was a kick-off party Thursday night in the park downtown Abbeville and I was invited to play the T-Fer (triangle) with a couple of my friends (traditional Cajun music). That was a lot of fun!

Here's the schedule for the remainder of the weekend. For more information, visit the Giant Omelette Celebration website.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9TH, 2009

9:00 - 5:00 Antique Implement viewing

10:00 - 4:00 Historic Tour of Homes

9:00 - 5:00 Arts & Crafts Show

10:00 - 5:00 Kids World

2:00 - 5:00 - Al Berard Family Ban

5:00 p.m. Festival Closes - See you tomorrow

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8th, 2009

9:00 Giant Omelette/Faith House & Kaplan Food Bank Poker Run Sponsored by The Survivors Riding Club

9:00 Official Mass St. Mary Magdalen NOTE: Due to the work being done in St. Mary Magdalen Church the 2009 Omelette Mass will be held at the Vermilion Catholic High School Auditorium.

9:00 - 5:00 Antique Car/Implement viewing

9:00 - 5:00 Arts & Crafts Show

10:00 - 1:00 Feufollet

1:30 Procession of Chefs and Eggs

1:45 Tabasco Girls Dance Team

2:00 - 4:00 Fa Tras Local Cajun Ban

2:00 Omelette Preparation & Serving

5:00 Festival Closes See you next year!!

Baton Rouge has a hot new real estate company in town called Home After Home. Founded by two REALTORS with a lot of experience in the Baton Rouge real estate market, we expect Home After Home to be a great success. The principle is simple. The way of the Internet is now and far too many real estate companies are falling behind the game when it comes to properly marketing their listings and allowing an interface on the web that empowers home buyers and home sellers. Home After Home is a progressive technology real estate company that will fix that problem in the real estate marketplace.

We'll write another post when the website is launched, but for now, know that something great is about to happen. Phase 1 will be powerful web search allowing home buyers to search for homes available in the market and for home sellers to see what their competition looks like. Phase 2 which we plan to launch towards the end of 2010 will be the most innovative and powerful real estate website available. For that, you'll just have to wait and see!

In the meantime, it's business as usual. As we work to build the web platform we are continuing to help buyers and sellers using a combination of both traditional and innovative methods to achieve their real estate goals.

For the real estate agents who are looking for a better way to serve their clients, our office space is designed differently from most. We have mobile workstations in "The Lounge" and conference space where you may work on the go or meet with clients.

We're ready to help you achieve YOUR real estate goals! Are you ready? Call or text us today at 225-341-2752.

Warehouse District Views, A roof top view of the CBD in New Orleans.

Rooftop views in the New Orleans Warehouse District from the Federal Fibre Mills Condos. Condos make up almost 100% of residential real estate in this area of New Orleans. Most of the condos are conversions from warehouses and old office buildings. It is also becoming an area where people are buying second homes because there is a lot to do in the area. Enjoy the view!

The first time home buyer's tax credit that was scheduled to expire on 12/01/2009 has been extended until May 1, 2010.  The income limits for this have also been increased!

Here are the specifics:

• Purchasers must be first time home buyers.  This means that you must not have owned a home in the past three years.
• The credit is for 10% of the purchase price up to $8,000
• Adjusted Gross Income limits are now $125,000 for single filers and $225,000 for joint filers
• Purchasers must have a contract signed by April 30, 2010 and will have until June 30, 2010 to close
• The credit is only available for the purchase of principal residences priced up to $800,000 or less

There is also a new tax credit for "long time resident" homeowners!

Here are those specifics:

• Purchasers must have lived in their primary residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years
• Tax credit for existing "long time resident" homeowners will be 10% of purchase price up to $6,500
• Stipulations for dates, Adjusted Gross Income limits and purchase price remain the same as for First Time Home buyers

This is good news. Many people will now be able to purchase their first home or possibly move up to a bigger home.  The move up part of this is crucial to the continued growth real estate market .

Please note:  I am NOT a tax professional!  These are the rules and regulations as I understand them as a Real Estate Professional.  If you have any questions or unique situations, please contact your tax professional.  If you do not have one, I will be glad to give you some recommendations.

10 Most Forgotten Items During A Move

When moving day arrives, there's nothing quite like the nagging feeling that you're forgetting something. But, don't let the moving blues get you down because there are a few tricks that you can use to make sure that you don't leave anything behind.

A good rule of thumb is that the last things that you use are likely to be those that are forgotten, so make sure to do a final check through the house before leaving. As you are packing in the days leading up to the move, make a checklist of the items you need to remember to pack. If all else fails, use the following checklist to help you retrieve 10 of the most forgotten items during a move.

Lawn Mower. Although this is not a small item that's easy to miss, it is easy to forget your lawn mower because it's likely to be stored in an outbuilding or other location outside of the home.

Medicine. When travelers go on vacation, their medicine is one of the most commonly forgotten items. Therefore, it just stands to reason that it may also be easily overlooked during a move. Because most medications are kept in a medicine cabinet, they are unobvious at a glance.

Tools. We use tools for everyday fix-it projects, but we rarely think to pack them. Tools are important but, because they are not something that's used on a daily basis, they are easy to miss when packing for a move.

Flashlight. When the electricity is out or you find yourself out after dark, these handy gadgets are a necessity. Moving day, however, often finds families in the dark when it comes to realizing they have forgotten their trusty flashlight.

Bathroom Plunger. It's not a glamorous essential, but it is a necessary one nonetheless. Because a plunger is intentionally made to be unobvious when stored in a bathroom, it's easy to overlook on moving day.

Coffee Maker. If you or someone in your family is a lover of caffeine, your coffee maker is a kitchen essential. Because it's likely to be one of the last things that you will use before leaving the home, it's also likely to be forgotten.

Toilet Paper. Speaking of one of the last things that you will use before you leave the home, toilet paper is it. Pack it or buy it when you get there but, either way, this is one kind of paper that you can't afford to forget.

Car Keys. If you are using a U-Haul to take your belongings to your new home, it's extremely easy to forget your primary or secondary set of car keys. Do yourself a favor and make a note to take them along.

Fire-Resistant Security Box. Most families have these, but many forget them during a move. Although most fireproof boxes are purchased to house important papers, such as deeds, titles and other essentials, they can be overlooked if they are stored in an inconspicuous place.

Bills. Believe it or not, bills are easy to forget. Most people think about the obvious items that they can see, but it's too easy to accidentally shuffle in some new bills with the old ones and simply discard them. If this should happen, simply call the lender and ask for another statement or make a payment arrangement online or over the phone.