Troy Jowers, New Orleans Realtor

Hi all!

I'd like to announce a recent decision to move my business to the brokerage of RE/MAX Real Estate Partners, Inc. Thanks to all of you, especially past and present clients who have been so supportive of the move. I love my Prudential Gardner family and the decision was far more emotional than I thought it would, but I'm very excited about the new folks I've met at my new home.

Some contact information will change, but not all. My cell number is still 504-655-5394. My recent change in Web site (www.MyNewOrleansRealtor.com) will follow me to and be expanded by RE/MAX, and my email address will remain troy@myneworleansrealtor.com. To reach me direcly at my desk, the number is 504-457-2653, and our office front desk is 504-888-9900.

I'm excited about the move for so many reasons and look forward to being armed with even more technology and resources to serve the unique and every changing New Orleans real estate market faster and better than anyone around town. Thanks again for the support and I'll be posting more as the updates to www.MyNewOrleansRealtor.com are rolled out over the next couple weeks.

For those of you unfamiliar with Mardi Gras here in New Orleans, every parade is hosted and put together by a licensed carnival "krewe." These krewes are often named for figures in mythology, such as Krewe of Zeus and the Krewe of Bacchus. Several years ago, one such krewe was created with the Barkus (playing off the immensely popular Bacchus) and the krewe members are canine. In addition to being one of the best loved parades in all of Mardi Gras, they also raise a ton of money for various animal welfare organizations.

Like all carnival krewes, Barkus chooses a king and a queen every year, and this year one of our rescue pups, Scrappy, has been named King of the Mystic Krewe of Barkus for 2009. If you're coming down this way, the parade rolls through the French Quarter on Sunday, Feb. 15 and is great fun!

Learn more about how Scrappy was rescued from the streets, lost in Katrina, and rescued again. And while you're at it, make a $10 tax deductible donation through PayPal to help organizations like the ones that helped Scrappy find his way home after Katrina! His story is at www.kingscrappy.comand more info on The Mystic Krewe of Barkus can be found at www.barkus.org. Hail Barkus!

Troy Jowers, SSC, MSIR, Realtor
The Hoogerwerf-Jowers Team
Prudential Gardner, Realtors
1820 St. Charles Av. #110
New Orleans, LA 70130
C: 504-655-5394
O: 504-894-6400
troy@myneworleansrealtor.com
www.myneworleansrealtor.com

We're receiving good and bad news regarding the New Orleans realty market toward the end of 2008. While we've been named (along with Baton Rouge) as one of strongest real estate markets by several publications, other industry sources are telling us that though our prices have climbed a bit toward the end of 2008, they're still down from 2007. Some areas of town are seeing price increases, some decreases.

Of course, our market was humming along, relativey speaking, until the credit meltdown. Personally, I find that the biggest let down locally is difficulty in getting construction loans. It seems impossible for many to obtain and there's still so much rebuilding and investment opportunity here.

This is all thanks to Katrina, of course. Our prices jumped after the storm, but not to crazy levels that had to be drastically corrected like certain parts of California and Florida. We also did not have quite the number of subprime problems. Though the big players like Countrywide and Wells Fargo are strong in our market, our local banks stayed very strong throughout the boom, and did very little lending to less than qualified buyers. We are definately starting to see a problem with adjustable rates, however, and we can only hope to stem that tide before its too late.

Our attemps at adjusting to the market changes include intensive seller education regarding these market factors. It's something we should always be doing, but we're really trying to drive home the point about pricing for the current market, and no your home is not worth more because you chose that shade of stain and had to apply five coats to get it just right! We've also become experts in short sale solutions, moving people who have gotten in over their heads into something more sensible while avoiding foreclosure on their credit (which takes them out of the market for years). As a short sale instructor recently asked: can you imagine the impact if every Realtor in the country saved just one family from foreclosure?

Good luck to us all! And remember, if you need anything real estate related in the New Orleans are, we're here fo you!

www.myneworleansrealtor.com

Looking for full time realtors??? Check out our website and call us to represent you when either buying or selling. Jane holds the buyer representative designation of ABR as well as the seller designation of SRS. We specialize in properties uptown, the historic Garden District as well as the Northshore and we have extensive knowledge of the condo market throughout New Orleans.

We're excited to announce the first phase of our new Web Site is live. We look forward to rolling out much more over the next several months. Visit us at www.MyNewOrleansRealtor.com.

Please contact us (sold@MyNewOrleansRealtor.com) if you're interested in placing a link on our site. Our pages featuring our strategic partners is coming soon!