About Gretna's Terrytown

Yesterday was the soft opening of Petite Cupcakes in Gretna and the ladies were nice enough to allow me to take a sneak peek during their last minute preparations for the grand opening of their location at 2766 Belle Chasse Highway in Gretna.

The store was filled with cupcakes and a whirlwind of activity as they were frosting and decorating pan after pan of hand held goodies.

This is definitely a family affair as moms and mother-in-laws were on hand, helping to set things up and get ready for customers. How wonderful to see another locally owned business put down roots on the West Bank! I hope that everyone will at least stop in to say hello and welcome the newest business to the Gretna/Terrytown area.

Petite Cupcakes, which is military owned, offers a 10% military discount on all orders.

Petite Cupcakes menu

Originally published at West Bank Living

There have been sushi spots popping up all over the West Bank of New Orleans and I'll be the first to admit that I haven't tried them all. One place that I go back to time and time again is Cafe Zen, right on the corner of Belle Chasse Highway and Wall Blvd. on the edge of Terrytown.

They started out in a much smaller spot in the strip center location a few years back, but now they have a nice corner space with plenty of parking and a much more open, comfortable feel to the entire restaurant.

Reasonably priced and with good service, you'll forget you parked next to Winn Dixie the minute you are seated. Greeted with traditional warm towels and complimentary noodle salad, it's an excellent way to spend your lunch hour or dinner time, whether you opt to sit at the sushi bar or choose table service. A large selection of rolls, sushi and sashimi are offered on the traditional Japanese menu. Rounded out with a few salads and tempura choices and there's something for everyone.

My favorite appetizer, although a little pricey at $9.95, is the Beef Tataki. Shaved thin, seared beef served atop fresh crisp lettuce with a vinegar based sauce, it's a little bit of heaven and worth every penny. I try a new roll each time I go and today's choice was the Mango and Salmon roll. Sounds a little odd, but it was fantastic!

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that you add Cafe Zen to your list of places to go on the West Bank.

Cafe Zen is located at 2112 Belle Chasse Hwy, Gretna, LA 70053-6651. Call (504) 393-2293 for more information.

Current real estate activity in Terrytown and Gretna LA:

157 homes are currently listed for sale

• High list price $850,000
• Low list price $24,900
• Average list price $211,790
• Median list price $173,500

61 homes are pending sale or under contract, priced from $32,400 to $329,000 Based on the number April sales (23), there is a 6.8 month supply of homes for sale in Terrytown and Gretna

Terrytown/Gretna LA | Number of Single Family Home Sales | April 2010

Home sales in Terrytown and Gretna continue to climb each month, ending April with a total of 74 homes sold year to date. At the same time in 2009, there were 63 home sales, so this is an increase of 17% in the number of homes sold in the 70056 zip code. With 61 homes under contract, I expect that number to continue to climb in May as the first buyers taking advantage of the tax credit get to the closing table.

Days on market has dropped fairly significantly from 2009 to 2010, ending April at an average of 74 days. However, the average active listing has already been on the market for 135 days, so look for an increase in this number as the year goes on.

Terrytown/Gretna LA | Average Single Family Home Prices | April 2010

While the number of sales has been increasing, the average prices that buyers are paying dropped again in April. It’s not all bad news for home sellers though, because year to date prices are just a smidge above the 2009 average and holding steady above the 2005 averages. Considering the losses that owners are taking in some other areas of the country, this is a pretty stable market.

More about April home sales in Terrytown and Gretna

• 17% of April sales were of bank owned or foreclosure properties
• 22% of home sellers provided closing cost assistance to the purchasers
• 39% of home sellers provided a home warranty to the buyers
• FHA continues to be the loan of choice for the majority of home buyers, with cash running second. The majority of the cash sales were of bank owned properties or those that were in poor condition, making them appealing to investors

All data is provided by GSREIN and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed

Related Articles:

• Home buying tips
• Home selling tips
• Terrytown and Gretna Homes for Sale
• West Bank Real Estate Market Statistics

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For more information about home buying or selling on the West Bank of New Orleans, or relocating to or from NAS JRB New Orleans, please contact the West Bank Living Team. It would be our pleasure to have the opportunity to assist you with any of your real estate needs and have a little fun while doing it!

Originally published at West Bank Living

Current real estate activity in Terrytown and Gretna LA 70056:

168 single family homes are for sale

• High list price $895,000
• Low list price $24,900
• Average list price $211,184
• Median list price $164,950

51 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $55,000 to $385,000

Based on the number of sales in March (18), there is a 9.3 month supply of homes for sale in Terrytown and Gretna

Gretna and Terrytown LA 70056 | Number of Home Sales | March 2010

Year to date, there have been 51 single family home sales in the 70056 zip code, compared to 49 at the same time last year. Inventory (the number of homes listed) is remaining stable, while pending sales have taken a jump. If I had to guess, I would say that the increase in activity is due to (1) the normal increase in sales in the spring and (2) the pending expiration of the first time home buyer’s tax credit. We’ll know this for sure over the next couple of months as we continue to track the sales in the Gretna and Terrytown communities.

Days on market has dropped to 81 for homes sold in 2010. What is interesting is that the average active listing has been on the market for 147 days, while the average home under contract has been on the market for 69 days. This should be an indicator to some sellers that a price adjustment may be in order to capture the buyers that are searching for a new home. The potential for increases in interest rates can have the effect of depressing prices further since it reduces the amount that purchasers are qualified to borrow. Because we’ve seen rates begin to creep up ever so slightly recently, being priced well is critical.

Get this week's free Terrytown LA home value report

Gretna and Terrytown LA 70056 | Average Home Sale Prices | March 2010

Home prices in Terrytown and Gretna are averaging $162,983 so far this year, a 2.6% increase over the 2009 average. A quick glance at the pending sales tells me that we should expect that average to remain pretty stable when April sales are added.

More about March 2010 home sales in Gretna and Terrytown:

• 22% (4) of the sales were bank owned or foreclosure properties
• 39% (7) of sellers paid some type of closing cost assistance to the buyers
• 56% (10) of sellers paid for a home warranty for the purchasers
• FHA remains the most popular loan choice of buyers, so sellers should be sure that their home will meet the criteria for this loan type

All data is provided by GSREIN and is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed

Related Articles:

• Home buying tips
• Home selling tips
• Terrytown and Gretna Homes for Sale
• West Bank Real Estate Market Statistics

---

For more information about home buying or selling on the West Bank of New Orleans, or relocating to or from NAS JRB New Orleans, please contact the West Bank Living Team. It would be our pleasure to have the opportunity to assist you with any of your real estate needs and have a little fun while doing it!

Originally published at West Bank Living

Current real estate activity in Terrytown and Gretna LA 70056:

172 homes are for sale

• High list price $1,200,000
• Low list price $24,900
• Average list price $215,009
• Median list price $169,000

36 homes are under contract or pending sale, priced from $70,312 to $449,900

Based on the number of Terrytown/Gretna homes sold in February (13), there is a 13.2 month supply of homes for sale in the community

Terrytown and Gretna LA 70056 | Number of Homes Sold | February 2010

Although the number of home sold dropped from January to February, year to date there have been 33 single family home sales, up from 28 at the end of February 2009. With 36 pending sales, it looks like the area is off to a good start in 2010. It remains to be seen if the volume will be sustainable after the first time home buyer tax credit ends on April 30th, so we will continue to track activity in the community.

Average days on market for homes sold in 2010 is now at 80. As older inventory is cleared out, I expect this number to go up since the average days on market for active listings is currently 143 days.

Terrytown and Gretna LA 70056 | Average Single Family Home Sale Prices | February 2010

Prices took a jump in February, bringing the year to date average to $161,852. This is a slight increase over the 2009 average. Again, we will have to track ongoing activity to determine if this is a true increase in sale prices.

Some more facts about Terrytown and Gretna home sales in February:

• Condition of homes was varied, with 5 homes sold in Excellent condition, 3 homes in Average condition, 3 homes in Fair condition and 2 homes in Very Good condition
• 39% of the homes sold were bank owned or foreclosure properties
• 31% of sellers paid for a home warranty for the buyers
• 23% of sellers provided some type of closing cost assistance to the purchasers
• FHA remains the most popular choice in home purchase financing

Related Articles:

Home buying tips

Home selling tips

Homes for sale in Terrytown and Gretna LA

West Bank Real Estate Market Statistics

---

For more information about home buying or selling on the West Bank of New Orleans, or relocating to or from NAS JRB New Orleans, please contact the West Bank Living Team. It would be our pleasure to have the opportunity to assist you with any of your real estate needs and have a little fun while doing it!

Originally published at West Bank Living