Realtor.com released some interesting statistics for December 2008. The data show the most-searched real estate markets in the 
United States ranked in order of popularity, year-over-year and month-over-month percentage increases.
I want to give a heads up to all homeowners in Shreveport and Bossier City who are thinking of selling their home. The month-over-month increase in online searches for this area was 22.6%. This means that close to 25% more people searched online for homes for sale in Shreveport this December compared to last December.
According to the National Association of Realtors®, 80% of home searches nationwide begin on the internet. This is significant information for sellers.
How so? It simply means that the agent you select to list your home must know how to effectively market homes online. "But don't all agents do that?", you ask. And the answer is yes and no.
The broker that an agent works for may automatically send all their listings to some online real estate websites. An internet savvy Realtor® won't settle for that. They will make sure that their listings are found everywhere on the world wide web - even the first page of Google.
My Premier Home Marketing Program™, esnures that homes that I list are found on more than 30 real estate marketing websites. That means local, national, and international exposure for my listings. Make sure any agent you work with does the same.
Here is a list of ten cool places to go when you're visiting Shreveport or if you live here and are looking for something to do. I've put them in no particular order.
1. Sci-Port Discovery Science Center and IMax Theater The kids love this one, but it has something for everyone.
2. Yogie and Friends Wild Cat Sanctuary Get up close and personal with lions and tigers and panthers - no bears!
3. Chimp Haven A family of chimps retired from the scientific research sector.
4. Water Town Shreveport's own water park.
5. R.W. Norton Art Gallery A unique art museum with rotating exhibits and absolutely beautiful gardens with walking paths.
6. The Strand Theater A true Shreveport icon.
7. Cross Lake A fishing, skiing, sailing mecca in north Shreveport.
8. Louisiana Boardwalk Across the river in Bossier City, the boardwalk has shops to interest everyone, eating, people watching, shopping, trolley riding, movie watching, bowling, eating, and did I say shopping?
9. Gardens of the American Rose Center Acres and acres of roses and other flowers.
10. Barksdale Air Force Base Museum The 8th Air Force Museum tells the air force story and features an airplane exhibit.
All of these places can be visited year-round, so if you're in Shreveport or Bossier City or somewhere close by, plan a visit. You'll have plenty to do.
See this list of My Top Ten Favorite Local Restaurants for places to dine while you're here.
Louisiana is known for its food - cajun, seafood, barbeque. You name it, we've got it. And it's delicious. So, in no particular order, here are my favorite local restaurants in Shreveport. See if you agree with me.
Strawn's Eat Shop - An All-American Diner
Dahn's Garden - Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese food
Yeero! Yeero! - A great little Greek restaurant
Pie Works - Pizza like you wouldn't believe
Cush's Grocery and Market - Great sandwiches, pasta, and Angus beef
Albasha - Lebanese food
Johnny's Pizza House - Home of the Kajun Sweep the Swamp Pizza
Counter Culture - Frozen yogurt concoctions and healthy sandwiches
Monjuni's Italian Cafe and Grocery - It's Italian!
El Mariachi - No website, just good Mexican food
So, what would your list look like? Have I missed your favorite? Let me know!
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You're at Home with Heather
Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana Real Estate
Shreveport Home Connection
Coldwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Assoc. LLC
Serving your real estate needs in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Stonewall, Blanchard, and Barksdale AFB
Licensed in Louisiana
Okay, I admit it. I may be too old to learn new tricks like Facebook and Twitter. Somehow I just don't get it. I have an account for both of these social networks, but Twitter I have all but abandoned, and Facebook may soon follow.
Perhaps I should get my teenage son to give me a lesson on how to use Facebook, because there's something I'm not getting. Is it me, or am I just using it wrong? My main problem seems to be the inability to follow one side of a conversation, or to find the entire conversation. So, I spend most of my time on Facebook confused.
And today, I took drastic action to try to get a better handle on Facebook.
I removed some Friends!!!
When I first began to use Facebook, I felt like I needed to build my Friends list up very quickly, so I requested to be friends with anybody and everybody that was vaguely familiar from Active Rain and other places. I confirmed everyone who requested me as a friend. And as a result I'm getting requests to join all kinds of groups, organizations, and causes. I'm getting Lil Green Patched to death, and Yoed in Yoville, and I just don't know what to do with it.
Not to mention all the status updates of all these people who I have no relationship with!
So, I bit the bullet and removed some Friends to pare down the bombardment of messages, albums, requests, notifications, etc. I'm hoping this will help make things make more sense to me, and help me navigate this social network better.
But please don't hate me if I'm no longer on your Friends list. No offense intended. I've never done well in a large group of strangers. I've pulled in the edges of my circle a little in order to learn. Before long, I hope to be able to expand it further and further without becoming overwhelmed.
Thanks for understanding!
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You're at Home with Heather
Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana Real Estate
Shreveport Home Connection
Coldwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Assoc. LLC
Serving your real estate needs in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Stonewall, Blanchard, and Barksdale
Highlighting the southeast Shreveport neigborhoods of Twelve Oaks, Acadiana Place, Norris Ferry Landing, Hidden Oaks, the Leonard Road Area, Norris Ferry Crossing, St. Charles Place, and Ellerbe Road Estates
Licensed Realtor® in Louisiana. Contact me at 318-465-6746 to list or buy a home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You're at Home with Heather
Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana Real Estate
Shreveport Home Connection
Coldwell Banker J. Wesley Dowling & Assoc. LLC
Serving your real estate needs in Shreveport, Bossier City, Benton, Haughton, Keithville, Stonewall, Blanchard, and Barksdale
Highlighting the southeast Shreveport neigborhoods of Twelve Oaks, Acadiana Place, Norris Ferry Landing, Hidden Oaks, the Leonard Road Area, Norris Ferry Crossing, St. Charles Place, and Ellerbe Road Estates
Licensed Realtor® in Louisiana. Contact me at 318-465-6746 to list or buy a home.
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Shreveport and Bossier City, in the northwest corner of Louisiana are two great places to live. I'm here to make your real estate transaction as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Internet Last but not least, your home will be priced to sell. I will show you a current market analysis of the homes for sale that are similar to yours, so that you can see the prices of your competition. I will also show you the homes that have currently sold, what they sold for, and how long they were on the market. These are the tools to determine the home's selling price so that it will sell quickly and not languish on the market as buyers pass it by. In today's housing market, correct pricing is the key to whether your home will sell.SEARCH FOR HOMES
IN SHREVEPORT, BOSSIER CITY, BENTON, HAUGHTON, STONEWALL, KEITHVILLE, BLANCHARD, AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
You're at Home with Heather
I am not a high-pressure, overly aggressive real estate agent with a make-the-sale-no-matter-what mentality. I consider myself to be a down-to-earth, approachable real estate professional with the abilities to guide you through your real estate transaction with the least amount of stress possible.
Rest assured, that you'll never feel pressured to make a decision until you are absolutely sure it's the right one for you!
To learn more about the way I work and the Shreveport real estate market, when you're finished here, please visit My real estate blog.
Are you in the market to Sell?
Advertising
I ensure that your home receives outstanding promotion to the largest number of buyers - those that use the Internet for finding their next home and those who still read the real estate ad in the Sunday paper or drive through neighborhoods and attend open houses.
Your home will appear in the newspaper every Sunday until it is sold and every REALTOR® in the area will receive an email flyer announcing that your house is on the market. Many times they have a client looking for a house just like yours.
On the internet, your home will be promoted on over 25 of the most-visited real estate websites, such as ColdwellBanker.com, Realtor.com, and Trulia.com to name just a few. You will also have the option to have your home featured on its own website with unlimited photos, information, and a virtual tour.
Photographs
Great pictures are always important, but especially because now over 85% of buyers begin their home search on the internet. Photos on the internet are the front door to your home for most of your potential buyers. Photos for my listings are taken by a professional photographer at no cost to you to ensure the pictures are of the best quality.
Staging
I'll help you prepare your home for the market with staging advice to give you the best possible opportunity to sell for top market value. And if you're interested, professional home staging services are available.
Showings
You will have access to the showing system I use that allows you to track your home's showings and the feedback given by the showing agents and potential buyers.
Pricing
Are you in the market to Buy?
MLS Access
I am able to save you a lot of time by setting up searches on the Multiple Listing Service that will identify homes that truly meet your criteria. You'll have the opportunity to review a list of homes specific to your needs, rather than all those that happen to fall within your price range.
Comparative Market Analysis
Once you've narrowed down your home selection, I will conduct a comparative market analysis to determine how your home of interest compares in pricing with other recently sold homes in the area.
I'll work with you to help you find the perfect home for you - not just the first one you look at, and I'll streamline the process of getting from contract to closing with the least stress possible for you.
Please call me if I can be of any help to you!
An important part of the success of the client-agent relationship is effective and timely communication. A key part of the service I provide is to make sure that you are kept up to date on what is happening in your real estate transaction all along the way. I am confident that the skills I offer will make a difference in the success of your next real estate transaction. Give me the opportunity to earn your business! When you're ready to make a move, call me at 318-918-8248, or send me an e-mail.I look forward to visiting with you. If you visit my blog, please leave me a comment! Thanks,
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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