Lisa Heindel, New Orleans West Bank Real Estate

Surely, the rest of the country cannot possibly be having as much fun as New Orleans this weekend. They might getting ready for a couple of days off and even the Super Bowl, but right in the middle of preparations for the Big Game, we have a whole other party starting.

Friday kicks off Mardi Gras 2010 in earnest, with 5 parades rolling in the metro area (plus a couple on the North Shore as well). On the West Bank of New Orleans, this Friday is when folks that haven’t seen each other for a year meet up again on the Krewe of Cleopatra parade route along General de Gaulle in Algiers and Terry Parkway in Terrytown. Getting there early and waiting for the parade to pass is never a waste of time. It’s a chance to catch up with friends and gives you time to sit back and take a deep breath before standing shoulder to shoulder, yelling “Throw me somethin’” over and over and over again until the last float has rolled away.

Friday evening there will be free, live bands at Stumpf and the Expressway in Gretna (The Bucktown All-Stars play at 6:30 pm) and at Terry Parkway and Carol Sue in Terrytown (the Wise Guys perform at 6:30 pm). Live music, friends, floats, beads…who else is having this much fun on a Friday in February?

Saturday is expected to dawn sunny and chilly, perfect weather for the parades rolling on the West Bank. Kicking things off at 10:15 in the morning is the Krewe of Choctaw, followed by the Mystic Knights of Adonis. But wait! It doesn’t end there. Because the Super Bowl falls on a parade day, the Krewe of Alla has moved their parade, complete with a huge marching band competition, to Saturday as well. That’s 3, count them, 3 back to back parades rolling through Algiers, Terrytown and into the City of Gretna.

Pssstttt...look for me in the Krewe of Choctaw on the shrimp boat float, driver's side. I bet yelling "West Bank Living" might snag you a pair of big beads :)

The live music continues on Saturday, with The Topcats playing at 11 am at Stumpf and the Expressway and Amanda Shaw & The Cute Guys kicking off at 10:30 am at the corner of Terry Pkwy and Carol Sue. While the rest of the country is blowing snow or grocery shopping or running other errands, we’ll be partying in the streets all day.

And then there is Sunday.

Oh my gosh, Sunday. The big day. The day that Saints fans have been waiting for over 40 years to see. The day that purple, green and gold is set aside for the Black and Gold of the New Orleans Saints. Churches are canceling evening services, parades are on hold, businesses are closing early and, in some places, school has already been called off on Monday.

The day when an entire city will be crowded around televisions, whether at home or at a party or in the bars that are broadcasting the game, we will all be united with one goal…to watch our boys win the most important game of their careers – the Super Bowl.

Of course, as always, we put our own little local spin on it and I’ll be wearing my limited-edition-sold-out-can’t-get-them-anymore “Supa Beauxl” shirt from local designer Fleurty Girl.

The newspaper warned travelers this week that Miami doesn’t allow the kind of tailgating we are used to. Hmphf. Well, Miami, we don’t need to be there in person to cheer our team on.

We will have the biggest citywide party of any team ever to hit the Super Bowl and you can bet that even though the NFL thought they could rip it off (and failed), we will WHO DAT! our way to the end of the game and on into the night.

Here’s wishing you a safe start to your Mardi Gras and GEAUX SAINTS!!!!

2010 Mardi Gras Parade Schedule

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

We like to do things just a little differently here in New Orleans. And one of the things we do best is throw an impromptu parade for just about any reason.

For years and years, Buddy Diliberto (affectionately known as Buddy D) was the most prominent local sportscaster. He called the Saints games and reported on sports both on television and radio. The one thing he stuck to his guns on was the fact that the New Orleans Saints were not, and would never be, a good team. Callers to his radio show that would proclaim “this is the year” were labeled squirrels. He was so sure that the Saints would never be a winning team that he promised to wear a dress if they ever made it to the Super Bowl.

Well, we made it. But Buddy passed away a few years ago and isn’t here to make good on that promise.

No worries, as there were over 4,000 loyal Saints fans willing to step up, put on a dress, and parade from the Superdome to the French Quarter this afternoon. In true New Orleans fashion, it was a party even while we were waiting on the marchers to arrive and when they showed up after walking for a couple of hours (hey, it's tough to trek through town in a dress) the party shifted into overdrive.

We were lucky enough to run into a band, playing a typical New Orleans beat that just makes you want to dance in the street….

Can you imagine what they’ll do if we win the game? WHO DAT!!!

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

It may have been cold and gloomy outside, but onboard the Steamboat Natchez, the Krewe of Choctaw celebrated their 75th anniversary with the annual river parade yesterday. We boarded bright and early in the morning for a 2 hour party cruise up and down the Mississippi River that was full of fun, music, food and Mardi Gras royalty.

The view of the city of New Orleans was a bonus, with such a different perspective of the city when it’s seen from the river.

With a fireboat from New Orleans leading the way and one from Plaquemines Parish following behind, there were picture perfect moments all along the way.

Since it was pretty darn chilly and windy, most people were smart enough to stay inside, where the food was hot and the music kept them moving.

Choctaw’s street parade will roll on February 6, 2010 through Algiers, Terrytown and Gretna, the day before the Saints take the field in the Super Bowl. These riders are ready!

Pssst…look for me on the neutral ground side of the shrimp boat float and I’ll throw ya something :)

Happy Mardi Gras!

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

City Park's oldest and largest live oaks are located along the vestiges of old Bayou Metairie, a remnant of an ancient distributary of the Mississippi River. The McDonogh estimated at 600 years old, Dueling and Suicide Oaks are among the remnants of this ancient forest that started long before Iberville and Bienville first scouted the area for a site to build the city and port that became New Orleans.

The first thing that we advise a potential home buyer to do before beginning their home search is to determine how much they are qualified for and what price range makes them the most comfortable with their monthly mortgage payment. Once they have done that, we start narrowing the search based on location, condition and amenities.

While the old real estate mantra is location, location, location, the primary driver in most home purchases is price, price, price.

Here’s a quick look at the 2009 home sales on the West Bank, broken down by price range:

There are some interesting statistics here when you review 2009 sales, because we are seeing not just a reduction in the overall number of homes sold in the area, but also a shift by buyers into lower price ranges. Some of this shift may be due to the first time home buyer tax credits that were offered in 2009 and then extended into 2010. Generally, first time home buyers purchase at or below the average sale price in an area. In 2009, the West Bank average was a little over $156,000 and homes in the $120,000-$160,000 range made up almost 30% of the annual sales.

The real issue now is inventory. If you are considering selling your West Bank home in 2010, you may be in for some stiff competition depending on where your home is located and what condition it is in.

Some of these number are just downright disheartening, especially in the over $250,000 range where the number of homes currently for sale exceeds the total number sold in 2009 in that same range.

What else does this chart tell us?

Buyers have a LOT to choose from in our current market. If I was in the market for a home priced around $180,000, I would look at homes that were a little above my price range (assuming that the seller is willing to negotiate) and those that cost less than my budget (assuming there might be a bargain to be had).

With that criteria, there are over 175 homes currently for sale that could potentially be on my list. Of course, this is before narrowing down to the neighborhoods I like the best, the number of bedrooms I need and the condition of some of the homes. But, that’s still a big old number and looks like an awful lot of supply when compared to the current demand.

What’s a home seller to do?

Be realistic. Knowing that you are up against a lot of competition means that you must be priced competitively from the moment your house goes on the market. Do your research and take advantage of all of the information that your agent can provide to help you pin point the right price for your home.

Be flexible. With the anticipated reduction in the amount of seller assistance allowed by FHA, I expect to see more buyers asking for the maximum amount between now and this summer. Offset that with the move up tax credit available for homes under contract by April 30th, and you may have a little more wiggle room in your negotiations. (NOTE: This is not financial advice – check with your tax preparer to determine if you qualify for the move up credit)

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!