Gayle Causey

The long tradition of Open Houses on Sunday afternoon is about to be shaken up a bit. This past weekend (May 9) was just the beginning of a new era in open houses in Monroe/West Monroe, LA.

Keller Williams Realty hosted 30 open houses all over Ouachita Parish on Saturday afternoon! It was decided that Mother's Day (May 10) was a day set aside for moms, so they should not be inconvenienced by having to leave their homes to have them open on their special day.

Personally, I love the idea of Saturday Open Houses. I think it's good to give buyers the choice of 2 weekend days to see houses without having to make appointments. And, I also like the idea of having a Sunday off now and then. That doesn't mean that I won't show houses to my buyer clients on Sunday. I'm always happy to do that. But, not hosting open houses on Sunday gives me a chance to have a little family time, too.

So, what do YOU think? I would really like to know your opinion. If this is an idea that customers like, I think more and more Realtors will also jump on the bandwagon.

Please share your thoughts.

Gayle Causey
Keller Williams Realty
Monroe, LA
http://GayleCausey.com or http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

If you aren't swimming through your yard right now, you're doing well! We've had so much rain over the past week that it's almost time to get out the boats.

Now is a good time, before the stifling heat that's on its way, to check the drainage around your home. If water pools in the yard or near the house, it's time to do something about it. It's bad for the grass and it encourages mold and mildew around your home.

I'm certainly no expert, so go to your neighborhood garden center and ask for advice. Some of the local landscape firms do an excellent job at improving drainage. Sometimes it's simple--clean out the drains near the street, remove old leaves and pine straw from the natural drainage lines. Sometimes it's a little more difficult. You may have to install French drains or underground pipes (for lack of a better word) to move the water to a more appropriate location.

Either way, your grass will be more healthy and you will have a smaller crop of mosquitoes this summer. I won't tell you that all the work in the world will keep mosquitoes away, but it will help!

A beautiful lawn increases your enjoyment of your property, and it really helps when you are ready to sell!

Gayle Causey
Keller Williams Realty
Monroe, LA, USA
http://GayleCausey.com

OK. There's no doubt now. We were taken aback last week when the temps went down into the 30s again, but I believe that spring is here to stay in north Louisiana!

Before the last cold snap, the Japanese magnolias were very showy this year. Here's a picture of one of the area's finest on Trenton St. in West Monroe. The lawn has 2 matching trees that never fail to impress every year with their wonderful blossoms. This was taken about 2 weeks ago, so the trees are now without blooms, but already leafed out completely.

The dogwoods are spectacular this time of year, and the azaleas are beginning to show their fabulous colors. I've seen a few tulips, mostly at Biedenharn Gardens, but they're just about done. While driving from Sterlington to West Ouachita yesterday, I saw wisteria draping the trees and full of those sweet, sweet blossoms. It's a wonderful time to be outside, and to be out looking at homes!

I'm sure you've read about the mortgage interest rates. Here's an excerpt from a letter I received from one of our local lenders on Wednesday:

"The hot topic regarding the mortgage industry - the Fed will be purchasing an additional $750m - 1.25 Trillion in Mortgage Backed Securities. The bond market is loving this news right now.
What does this mean for you and your clients? We are approaching the territory which yielded rates in the low 4%'s in the 15-yr and 30-yr rates in early January. If you recall, this lasted for only a couple of days. Short term - we could see rates improve as early as this evening. If things hold overnight with the overseas markets, we will should see much improvement in our rate sheets tomorrow. Long Term - what goes up will eventually come down, especially in this market. Just remember, the market is very volatile, so things can turn very quickly."

My hope is that those buyers who have been "waiting for a good rate" will wake up and smell the coffee. The time is NOW! Rates are as low as they were in the 1960's!

I'm off to show houses to someone who KNOWS this is a great time to buy a house. I'll make time for you this week if you give me a call.

Gayle Causey, 318-614-5615
GRI, ePRO, Buyer Specialist

Keller Williams Realty
Monroe, LA USA
Off: 318-812-7653

30 year mortgage rates went down to 4.875% on Wednesday! Money doesn't get much cheaper than that!

Who do you know right now that is renting? With so many opportunities for first-time home buyers, everyone who is renting should at least explore what opportunities may be available. Sellers are now helping buyers with down payments and other concessions!
In addition to that good news, have you heard about the $7500 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT for first-time home buyers?
First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit at a Glance

• The tax credit is available for first-time home buyers only.
• The maximum credit amount is $7,500.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after April 9, 2008 and before
  July 1, 2009.
• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
• The tax credit works like an interest-free loan and must be repaid over a 15-year period.

With this double-whammy of GOOD NEWS, who do you know that might want to learn more?
The real estate market changes quickly, so don't let your friends miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Email or call me today to find out more.

Gayle Causey
318-614-5615
Keller Williams Realty
1390 Hudson Lane
Monroe, LA USA
http://WestMonroeRealEstate.com

The numbers are in for October, 2008. We hear it on the news everywhere. You know the country is going to hell in a handbasket because you heard it on MSNBC, CNN, FOX, and all the other channels, right? Yes, the picture is dismal in several parts of the country, but let's compare the foreclosure rate in LOUISIANA.

According to RealtyTrac, Louisiana is ranked #41 in the number of foreclosures in the US. Here are the states at the top of the list for the month of October:
#1 Nevada--1 in 74 homes are in foreclosure or default (total 14,483). This is a jump of 118% over Oct. '07
#2 Arizona--1 in 149 households are in the foreclosure process (17,507 total), a jump of 176% over Oct. '07.
#3 Florida--54,324 homes in the foreclosure process (1 in 157 housholds), an increase of 79.94% over Oct. '07.
#4 California--56,954 homes in foreclosure or default (1 in 231 households), rising 13% over Oct. '07.
#5 Colorado--1 in 390 households are in default/foreclosure (total 5,374), a DECREASE of 0.09% from Oct. '07.

Here are the numbers for our state:
Louisiana had 642 homes go into the foreclosure process in October, 2008. That means 1 in 2,851 households are in jeopardy. This is a DECREASE of 10.83% from Oct., 2007.

You've heard it before-REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL! Please remember that our market is not the same as the market in other states.

NOW is a good time to buy a house. Interest rates are favorable and values are stable in Monroe, West Monroe, Swartz, Calhoun and Sterlington. Even if you are not in the market yourself right now, if you know someone who has been afraid to buy because of the scary news on TV, please tell them that it really is OK to buy! Houses are selling in Ouachita Parish and all other parts of Louisiana.

If you want to know more about the LOCAL market, don't hesitate to call me at 318-614-5615.

Gayle Causey
Real Estate Consultant
Keller Williams Realty
Monroe, LA USA

Stats for this article taken from http://www.realtytrac.com/ContentManagement/pressrelease.aspx?ChannelID=9&ItemID=5420&accnt=64847