M. Suzi Gravenstuk, Independent Broker

What is the most descriptive word for CBL's newest lively creation? Mall obviously does not work, emporium didn't have that special ring to it, nor did "shopping center (or centre)", although several news sources call the CBL creation a Shopping Center. The Promenade is so much more than shopping.

I vote for Promenade Power Plaza (there's only one thing missing for it to be a genuine plaza. See if you can figure out what it is...). I guess you could think of me as a Promenade Stalker. I am interested in the progress of the Promenade and expect positive long range and long term effects; as are many others in the Mississippi Gulf Coast communities.

Now for some fun... The other day between showing appointments I had time to visit the Promenade, reminesce--and soak in the excitement of pre-opening. on the other side of Hwy 67/15 is an established shopping/dining area. Locals were using "D'Iberville Walmart", Sangani, D'Iberville Lowe's as landmarks. Now this special intersection is becoming known as the highway between the Promenade and D'Iberville Walmart (at least by some folks who constantly give directions:-)

Note the Waffle House located right behind the sign. This road is a sign of progress. It may look plain to you, but its awesome to me.

So, you take exit 46B so you are headed North (away from the beach), take the first left past the intersection at I-10/I-110 (which miraculously turns into hwy 67/15). Now Hiring.

I remember when a Target in the MS Gulf Coast was simply a wish. Of course I visualized placing it in Long Beach...

Thank you for visiting. If you have your mind set on working at the Promenade location and want your home nearby, give me a call. I am confident I can help you move in the right direction. 228-806-5568 .

CAL North Biloxi communities are located 4 easy highway to highway miles away. I time myself frequently at 4 to 5 minutes without breaking speed laws. Students in this area attend all D'Iberville schools. We have new townhomes, flats and duplexes ranging from the low $600s up available for 6month and 1yr + leases.

Click here to visit the official CAL website. Click here for some of my listings.

Please see my other blogs located at CAL Team for more local information.

*Note: I hope we will have CTA transit service stopping at the Promenade and at the intersection of Lamie Bridge Road and N. Highway 15. That could be helpful for shopping and the work force. Perhaps someone reading this would help make it happen...

Someone has been running a Huge ad in The Sunherald rolling out the Neighborhood Rental Restoration Project. I can't help but wish that the entity paying for or sponsoring these ads could devote a tiny portion to advertising the ongoing SRAP Program and the new homes awaiting certified SRAP Rental candidates..

Generally, we introduce the SRAP from scratch. Occasionally we have SRAP Certified Rental Candidates contact us via the MDA office. So many potential candidates are not aware of the program--its unbelievable. I am thinking of doing a pre-recorded introduction to play for SRAP candidates.

Click here to see info on the newest SRAP designated town homes by CAL

My personal vested opinion:-), for every ad soliciting new investors--the MDA should also place a Rental Candidate information ad.

The NRRP ad states that "...According to a recent housing study, more affordable rental property is needed in the lower three coastal counties (South of I-10)." I cringe to think this program could be based on "Hud" Telephone surveyors. Who did they talk to? Did they perhaps go out and count the vacancies south of I-10? When was this study performed? Was it before or after the flurry of building?

Read carefully to make sure you can handle less than the maximum rental rate for the NRRP. Undoubtedly many investors will get in on this program. You will have competition. Be ready to be better and/or more competitively priced. You will likely find that the Government is your biggest competitor. You may also find that investors who are not in the program will lower their rates to stay competitive with the hud/mda programs; which in turn causes you to continually lower your rates.

The NRRP program may work great for some investors. The program requires a minimum credit score of 580. Please, perform your own due diligence, or hire an accountant and attorney before jumping in. It is likely a good idea that you start attracting rental candidates well ahead of your deadline.

The reason I chose to place specific guidebook links here when I could tell you to go to the parent site is because I am stressing the importance of the guidebooks. Even more so, I stress reading them and analyzing them.

I advise talking to current investors south of I-10 and see how things have been going for them.

The following links and much more information may be found here.

Click here to link to the guidebook for the Neighborhood Rental Restoration Project

Compare with the SRAP 2 Rental Guidebook information.

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The area I primarily serve is North Biloxi. Take exit 46B from I-10. Drive two miles North on 67/15 past Walmart and the new Promenade Shopping area. Take the North Hwy 15 exit. Drive two miles North. Avondale is on the left. All N. Biloxi showings begin with an orientation at the first townhome as you turn into Avondale.

The first 10 townhomes are all set aside for SRAP Certified Candidates. The other town homes are also reasonably priced but are not in the SRAP program. Take a peak at these townhomes by clicking here.

We still have Avondale Duplex homes and Quail Creek Cove Flats available for SRAP Certified Rental Candidates. Remember that N. Biloxi students attend all D'Iberville Schools. Harrison County provides school bus transportation.

August was a great rental month. Several SRAP homes have new occupants in Avondale, Quail Creek Cove and Quail Creek Circle. September is well on its way to topping August. CAL's September special with participating investors is: 1st month free/Zero ap fee.

The opinions expressed in this blog are my own.

Fortunately, we do not have to choose whether what we do is more about Real Estate or People; I think we all know the essence, the bottom line; the nitty gritty of real estate is "people". Most often we are thinking of the people rather than ourselves. If you have been a real estate professional any time at all, you know that to be true. You probably also know that in the "people" category you pay the least attention to yourself.

Most Real Estate Professionals come with families (gasp...:-) . Recently I experienced an intervention of sorts. I learned that family members thought I was working too much. Obviously I had let my passion for serving Investors and rental candidates get totally out of hand. How do you back off, though? I don't think it is possible to give less. However, I did make a vow to remember to schedule in important family events. A chief complaint is that I spend too much time on the computer. So, I am backing off of non-essential writing, other than when the last family member is asleep, or if I happen to wake up at 3AM as I did today and find my family still sleeping.

Once when I woke up around 3AM, our house was on fire. I thanked God when I woke up at 3 this morning that my house was safe, and all family members either breathing deeply or snoring. I made a pit stop by the coffee pot and found the following reminder from my 16 yr old, Skye. "Mom, do you know anyone that would like to sponsor me for the Choir Walkathon?" Well, off the top of my head, No. However, I put us down for $2 a mile or $20. The walkathon is tomorrow; with a packed real day I can't see lining up sponsors last minute as something I can do successfully. I will be coordinating 3 to 4 new leases, the results of ongoing work. I may be weak minded; but I have got to focus on work.

One thing about being a Long Beach Concert Choir Mom is that the parent association comes up with a year packed full of fund raisers. For instance, I may not do a great job at helping get sponsors for the Walk a Thon (Sponsors just let me know the $ or cents they want to contribute to Skye's 10 track walk. You can pay later:-); but I still have time to get myself together for Christmas Wreathes (you may turn in your order now:-); they are beautiful, Christmas with Santa...

Now I know many Real Estate Professionals have kids, and we can't all contribute to all of them. Still, in recognition of the fact that we are Real People, with Real Families--I would like to know about your fund raisers. I would also like your tips on living a more balanced life if you are actively involved in Real Estate as a "Field Agent" (Field Agents get the fun part of the job, working with Rental or Buyer Candidates, showing homes, photographing homes, placing ads).

I almost forgot. Click here to hear a few songs from the Long Beach Concert Choir.

Same Saturday, Part 2 of 2.

After stopping by the office in Biloxi, Skye and I decided to visit the Tea Party before scavenging the Edgewater Mall for the Shoe Mission. Following are photo highlights. These are publicly expressed sentiments of some who attended the Tea Party. This is simply a portrayal of what I saw.

No matter what is going on; or who says what--I love the people of our country. My daughter and I were leaving the Tea Party when we passed by the gentleman above. She remarked that she like his shirt. I said, "Can we get a photo?" He said sure, then told Skye she should be in it with him." Of all the photos I have taken, I believe this depicts the beauty of life in the United States. Idealism stretching across generations and making immediate friends of strangers.

Again, I simply recorded some political statements. I do not necessarily agree with all as it was put. Also, by submitting this record of the Biloxi Tea Party, I am in no way making a political statement regarding the CAL Group, my employer.

One last observence--my soon to be 16 year old daughter was quite frustrated that she was not old enough to sign some petitions. I wonder how many teens there are across the U. S. who are much more savvy than we think--and whose enthusiasm to get involved is thwarted.

If anyone knows of teen oriented political groups, please inform me. I think we might need to at least listen.

PS: End of story--After visiting Edgewater Mall, we still did not find her specific Converse All American Light Sneakers. So much for shopping local. I guess we will have to go online.

Saturday, July 18th, 2009--From Shoes to the Tea Party and in between... Part 1 of 2

This morning's mission: Find a new pair of Converse All American Light Sneakers to replace:

Can you imagine? Not a store carried what a teen wanted.These are her favorite shoe. Nothing else will do. When I picked this pair up for a photo shoot, Skye warned me: "You better not throw them away!"

Then my thoughts turned to the opening of the Promenade. Along with the Promenade comes a:

Yippee! (Photos of outdoor advertising in Seminary, Mississippi.) Although we already have some good shoe stores. Whose to say that the Watermelon Patch would have Converse All American Lights in women's size 7 1/2? They could end up like the other stores. NONE. Hey, we can go online ya know. There is just something ultimately interesting about a shoe store called Watermelon Patch.

Skye and I decided to do a full circle and stop by Avondale to check on a couple of properties, then stop at the office in Biloxi, winding up at the Edgewater Mall on Hwy 90 to hopefully eventually give the shoe story a happy ending.

Incidentally, our North Biloxi properties are only 4 easy breezy miles from the I-10/I-110 Intersection. I am sure you have heard of the Promenade Power Shopping area scheduled to open in October...Well, this special intersection is already well endowed on the NE side of the intersection with super stores like: Walmart, Lowes and various other retailers, hairstylists, and dining of all types. Both sides of the intersection have gas stations/convenience stores and nice hotels.

North Biloxi properties are in prime position! (Guess where my area of focused responsibility is?) :-) Yep, you guessed it.

The CAL Realty Group has properties spread throughout Harrison County, however. My personal focus is North Biloxi. Except in personal referral circumstances, I generally pass inquiries outside of North Biloxi/D'Iberville to one of my CAL PALS that know their areas better than I do.

One of the really neat aspects of working with CAL is the versatility. Currently we have an Inventory reduction $ale. Though I represent the owner, the buyer can't help but come out ahead in the Town Home/Duplex market.

If you are moving to the area, it will benefit you to give me the 1st chance at helping you get settled. If you want to rent awhile before buying--CAL has an excellent "Nesting" program. As long as you buy or build within the CAL Group--you can get from 20% up of your rent returned to you, depending on your plan.

I represent several investors that have homes set aside in the SRAP program, or Small Rental Assistance Program. These investors can help you get back on your feet in new homes with lower than hud defined market tental/lease rates.

A word about SRAP... As prospective resident you only have to qualify once. If you do better next year, its ok. According to my SRAP Source, you do not have to qualify again as long as you stay in the same home. This can work to your advantage if you expect a boost in income. Please do not think of SRAP as Section 8. The programs are not the same. SRAP does not pay any of your rent, your rent is not subsidized--taking time to qualify simply opens up wider choices for you with some aggressive rental rates set aside for folks at the income levels above. Please note that you should be budgeting approx 30% of your income for rent, or CAL qualify with your income a minimum of 2.5 times the rental rate. Hey--call if you have questions.

I have found that many people with substantially higher incomes are attracted to the SRAP ads. Though I cannot give you SRAP rates--tour our residences. Most investors are competitive and offer move in specials. We should be able to meet the needs of both hourly workers and management of I-10/I-110 businesses.

Satisfied that my we were in good shape for the new resident due in next week... we then stopped by the office quickly then decided to stop by the Biloxi Tea Party. See Part 2