How long do you think your house would take to sell?

The following report shows the list of sold properties in Lafayette Parish according to price range from January 2011 - December 2011.  The red information in the middle of the columns pertains to all of the information up to or in between the light gray lines.  The "Supply" column is how many months on average a home in that price range was on the market.

51.5% of all homes sold in 2011 fell in between the $150,000 - $299,999.  In 2011, 1,100 homes in this price range sold.  In 2010, 1,268 homes in this price range sold.  That is a -13.25% difference.  Hopefully we'll see a + in 2012!!!

The average time a home in that price range was on the market was 6.1 months.  In 2010 it was 5.9 months, so 2011 took slightly longer to sell a home in this price range.

Look at your price range to see where your house would have fallen last year.  Even if you aren't in the market to sell, it's interesting to see what you would need to expect.  

If you have any questions about this chart, please don't hesitate to ask!

How the Real Estate Market did in 2011 vs 2010?

Blue line - 2010
Red line - 2011

TOTAL number of homes sold in 2010: 2,265
TOTAL number of homes sold in 2011: 2,136
Sales went DOWN in 2011 by -05.70%


Average days on the market in 2010: 95
Average days on the market in 2011: 109
That is a 14 day increase in 2011


This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the REALTOR Association of Acadiana Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Board nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by the Board may not reflect all real estate activity in the marketplace.

How does Van Eaton & Romero Compare?

Fact:  Van Eaton & Romero dominated the residential market handling more than triple the dollar volume and market share of the number two agency.

Fact:  Van Eaton & Romero's commercial division was Lafayette Parish's top performer in closed dollar volume.

Fact: Van Eaton & Romero is the preferred agency of buyers and builders handling one third of new construction listings.

This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by the REALTOR Association of Acadiana
Multiple Listing Service. Neither the Board nor its MLS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its
accuracy. Data maintained by the Board may not reflect all real estate activity in the marketplace.

Lafayette's Unemployment Rate Ranks

I was reading a news story on KATC's website yesterday that, as of March 2012, Lafayette has the lowest unemployment rate in the state!  GO Lafayette!  It got me wondering where we fell nationally.  It took me a while to find the exact chart I wanted, but I did find this one, from Bureau of Labor Statistics, for unemployment rate ranks in Metropolitan areas.  Surprisingly, according to this chart, Lafayette ranked 17th out of 372!  NOT BAD!  NOT BAD AT ALL!!!

Low Cost Gardening

Gardening can be pretty expensive, especially if you are starting your landscape from scratch.  I did a little research and got some good ideas.  My  favorite ideas are:

1.  Who needs to hire a landscaper? Look around your neighborhood, if you see a landscape you like, don't be afraid to knock on their door and ask them for some advice.  I'm sure they'll be flattered and you'll get some valuable advice!

2.  Divide up your plants and prune them.  Some plants grow so big that you have to divide them up after a few years so that they don't take over the whole garden and make it look overcrowded. This happens with my Variegated Iris and Caladiums, but I know it happens with a lot of plants.  Divide them up and then you can put the extras in a bare spot, extend your garden or move it to your back yard landscaping (or vice versa).   I've even given some of the plants I've divided to friends for their landscaping!

3.  Use Mulch.  It helps the soil hold moisture and then you have to water less.   Mulch also helps cut down weeds, so you don't have to spend too much money on weed killer!

4.  Recycle your newspaper.  Instead of buying landscaping fabric, lay down newspaper, wet it, and cover it with a layer of soil or mulch to anchor it!  I've never tried this one, but I might!  Sounds genius!

5.  Make sure you know the difference between a weed growing in or an old plant.  I plant Vinca in the summer and then pull it for the winter.  However, the seeds spread because every year, I get Vinca that grow back on their own without replanting.  I always have to be careful not to pull a weed that is actually a flower coming back!

Need to Clean your Outside Windows?

I'm obsessed with this little gadget!  If you need to clean your outside windows, this is the product that you must use! It is SO easy and your done within minutes.  A friend of mine recommended this to me because her salt water pool vacuum sprays her windows and leaves streaks, but windows can get dirty for several reasons!  Dogs? Storms? Finger prints?  I also have a door that has several small window panes, but the size of the pad fits perfectly!  Cleaning windows used to be a pain, but with this thing it can be a weekly chore and it leaves your home looking well kept!  Also, the package says that one pad is good for one use, but I've found that not to be true.  Store it in a clean area and you can use two or three times if you want!  Let me know if you use it and what you think!!!

Most expensive one bedroom condo!?

This one bedroom condo in Japan is listed for $22 MILLION DOLLARS!  Even though it's only one bedroom, it's WAY bigger than my house (and probably yours) with 4,400 square feet!  I'm not sure we have anything like this here in Lafayette!!?!  Even if we did, it might be on the market for a while! ;-)

How to keep your house show ready!

If you've ever had your house on the market, you know that keeping your house "show" ready is not always a fun task, and proves nearly impossible when you have young kids in the house.  It's never a good idea to deny because that could be your sale, so it's good to always be prepared!  Here are a few things you can do to stay on top of things and to keep your house "show" ready!

1.  Create some empty drawer space so that you can put last minute things inside.  I find that mail, keys, wallets, etc. have a way of always being on the counters in my kitchen!  It would be great if you had a place, like an empty drawer, to throw those things into at the last minute.

2.  Get some bins to go under the beds in every room!  If you get a last minute call, you can run to rooms, scope out what's on the floor and put them in the bins!  Of course, you have to clean them out again so that the NEXT time you get a call, they aren't already full!

3.  Put a small carpet by the door and have people take their shoes off and keep them on the carpet.  No shoes on your carpets means less dirt.  If you get "the call" you can just remove the carpet quickly!

4.  Stay on top of it!  Make your bed every morning, put a dirty dish in the dishwasher, pull your weeds every evening, etc.  It only takes a few minutes to do small tasks, but if you let them build up, it can be overwhelming!  

7 Things Homebuyers Hate!

If you want to sell your house, you might want to get it so that buyers LOVE it and want to offer a good price.  This is a great slideshow that tells you 7 things homebuyers hate and even offers estimates on how much fixing these "problems" will cost!  Sometimes a little work goes a long way!!!

6 home remodeling tips

I love this slideshow that shows 6 smart home remodeling tips!  It's great to keep your home up to date, but it's also important to think of resale and how your remodeling choices will affect the value of your home!  Have you remodeled?  Tell me what you've done!

Acadiana's Best Restaurants!

Lafayette just won the award for "Tastiest Town of the South," and this is a great article about Acadiana's Best New Restaurants!  It lists restaurants from all over Acadiana, and has a few specific to Lafayette.  So if your willing to take a short drive, or just want to find something new here in town, you might be interested in this read.

Also, if you are looking for "oldies, but goodies" as far as restaurants are concerned, this site has some great suggestions!  The Cajun Foodie has some great recommendations as well!

What NOT to do after applying for a home loan!

A friend of mine made a joke about buying a ferrari during his meeting with his mortgage broker.  Even though, he was joking, the loan officer got wide eyed and begged him to not do anything until the loan was complete!  This is great information about what NOT to do after applying for a mortgage.

Clever Organizers!

I just love this idea for organizing.  You can use pails for almost anything. One thing I like to do is put beers or soda in a bucket with ice for entertaining!  Do you use pails?  If so, what for?

How To Buy and Sell At The Same Time

A lot of people have to sell their home before they can buy a new one.  Here is a great article about how to best prepare yourself to buy and sell at the same time.

Good Landscaping Sells

My favorite line of this article is this: "A Clemson University study found that homeowners get a 100 percent or more return on the money they put into landscaping."

Landscaping is crucial to selling your home quickly!  It's the buyers first impression and a well maintained yard, makes the buyer feel like it's a well maintained home!  Plus, knowing that the landscaping is mature and done right is one less thing the buyer would have to worry about after they move in!!!

10 investments to boost home value

Do you want to make improvements to your home?  This is a great article that will tell you what improvements will boost your homes value!  My favorite? A front yard makeover!  Pull your weeds, plants some colorful flowers and you get instant curb appeal and an excellent first impression!

Why It Is Important To Hire a Realtor!

Lots of people wonder if they really need a realtor when buying or selling a home.  Here is a great article about why having a realtor is so valuable!

Energy Saving Tips

Summer is coming and so is the heat.  This site gives some great energy saving tips.

These are some of the easiest to do (but check out the site for more ideas):

- get energy saving light bulbs
- replace air filters according to the manufacturers guideline
- try and keep the air conditioner set at 78 degrees or higher in the summertime
- fix dripping faucets
- caulk windows
- only wash dishes in the dishwasher when it is full
- defrost refrigerators and freezers before ice build up is more than 1/4 inch thick
- install shades, curtains or blinds on windows

Creative Ways to Hide Toys In Your Family Room

After couples have children, it seems that the family room quickly turns into the toy room!  The good news is that it isn't impossible to fix!  Here is a great article on great ways to hide your children's toys, but still manage to have an adult friendly family room too.  How do you hide your toys in your family room?

10 Steps to Home Ownership!

Are you thinking of buying your first home?  If so, this is a great article about the important steps to home ownership!  It'll answer all your questions about knowing if you are ready, why you need a realtor, how to get a loan, what kind of loan you'll need, etc.